Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, September 28, 2024/APO Group/ —
The bustling sound of dough kneading fills the air at Pierre Gbenou Tito Dossou’s bakery in Okoun-Sèmè, Benin, as the once energy-starved business now hums along smoothly. Orders for bread, croissants, and chocolate pastries are met on time, a feat Dossou attributes to a newly stable power supply.
“I struggled with electricity shortages for over a decade,” Dossou explains, reflecting on the bakery’s early years. “Generators didn’t work, and I couldn’t connect to the grid because our area was too remote. I had to rely on weak power from neighboring connections.” His fortunes changed last year (2023) when new pylons and a large transformer brought reliable electricity to his district.
“I felt like I won the lottery,” Dossou said with a smile. The new infrastructure brought streetlights, safer streets, and individual electric meters. “Since then, our work has been seamless. And even burglars have reduced,” he adds.
Other residents like Moussa Moudachirou, who is in his early 30s, have also experienced a positive shift. “Before, we had to borrow electricity from neighbors, but now we’re connected to our own meter at home,” he says. Now, with his own digital and economical meter, his family’s expenses have halved. “We now last three weeks on a 5,000 FCFA top-up card,” Moudachirou explains, expressing gratitude to the project’s donors while urging them to extend the benefits to others.
The Dossou and Moudachirou families are some of the beneficiaries of Benin’s Sub-Transmission and Distribution System Restructuring and Extension Project, which aims to improve electricity access in the West African country. The project is funded by the African Development Fund, the concessional window of the African Development Bank Group, which provided a $9.08 million loan and a $7.28 million grant, alongside a $17.79 million loan from the French Development Agency. The Benin government contributed $3.68 million.
Launched in 2018 and slated for completion in late 2025, the project is set to increase access to electricity across Benin’s major cities and secondary towns, such as Abomey, Bohicon and Lokossa. In addition to expanding access, the project aims to improve the quality of the electricity supply and cut energy waste. In 2015, it was estimated that the Electricity Corporation of Benin’s networks were losing 23 percent of their energy.
For many like Mouniratou Tiamiou, who once endured frequent power cuts, life has vastly improved. “Brownouts damaged our appliances, and burglars took advantage of the darkness. But since the project lit up the area, we have had no problems,” she says, thankful for the newfound security and stability the electricity project has brought to her home.
As Okoun-Seme’s businesses thrive and homes become more secure, the project is proving to be a vital boost for Benin’s energy landscape.
Saudi Arabian authorities have put to death over 198 individuals so far in 2024, the highest number of executions recorded in the country since 1990, Amnesty International said today.
Despite repeated promises to limit the use of the death penalty, Saudi authorities have ramped up executions while routinely failing to abide by international fair trial standards and safeguards for defendants. Executions for drug-related crimes soared this year, with 53 carried out so far – with an average of one execution every two days in July alone – rising from just two drug-related executions in 2023. Authorities have also weaponised the death penalty to silence political dissent, punishing citizens from the country’s Shi’a minority who supported “anti-government” protests between 2011 and 2013.
“Saudi Arabia’s authorities are pursuing a relentless killing spree displaying a chilling disregard for human life while promoting an empty-worded campaign to rebrand their image,” said Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General.
“The death penalty is an abhorrent and inhuman punishment which Saudi Arabia has used against people for a wide range of offences, including political dissent and drug-related charges following grossly unfair trials. The authorities must immediately establish a moratorium on executions, and order re-trials for those on death row in line with international standards without resorting to the death penalty.”
The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on International Abortion Rights Day:
“Abortion is health care. Family planning is health care. It’s that simple.”
“On this International Abortion Rights Day, we reaffirm unequivocally that every woman has the right to make decisions about her body, her life and her future. We reflect on the freedoms women have won. We renew our commitment to the progress we cannot risk losing. Finally, we fight hard to protect women’s freedom of choice.
“Our government is proudly pro-choice and always will be. That’s why we’re taking action to expand sexual and reproductive health care across the country. With theFund for Sexual and Reproductive Health, we are breaking down barriers, increasing access to these essential services, and supporting community organizations across Canada that help deliver this care. Funding is specifically targeted to projects that aim to improve access to safe abortion for women, youth, Indigenous people, racialized people, and 2SLGBTQI communities.
“Being pro-choice means more than just supporting women’s right to choose. It means increasing the choices available to them. Earlier this year, our government announced Bill C-64, the first phase of our pharmacare plan, which will provide universal coverage for a range of contraceptives. With $1.5 billion in federal investments, we are making medications and contraceptives free – from birth control pills to IUDs, implants and the morning-after pill – so women can decide whether, when and how to start a family. With this coverage, nine million women will benefit from greater choice and, most importantly, more affordable options. This will mean that cost will no longer be a barrier to their reproductive freedom. Earlier this month, we jointly announced with the Government of British Columbia that we intend to expand coverage for birth control and diabetes medications for residents of that province. Following the passage of Bill C-64, we plan to begin formal negotiations. We encourage each province and territory to do the same.
“Our commitment to expanding access to safe sexual and reproductive health services extends beyond our borders. As part of our 10-year commitment to global health and rights, we are making transformative investments to support the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and girls around the world. From 2022 to 2023, we have increased our global investments in safe abortion and post-abortion care by more than 50%. As part of ourFeminist International Aid Policy, we play a leading role on the world stage in promoting greater gender equality. And through our action and commitment, our message is that sexual and reproductive care is health care.
“As threats to women increase around the world, some people march to celebrate. Others stand down and cut funding for health care. Some say one thing and do another. And others choose to remain silent and are almost ashamed to speak out in support of reproductive health.
“We will not do that. No government or politician should dictate to a woman what she can and cannot do with her body. On this International Abortion Rights Day, as on every other day, we are following through on our commitment to building a safer, fairer and more prosperous future for everyone.”
The Government of Canada recently published onlineresources on topics related to sexual and reproductive health, including abortion, gender-affirming care and other sexual health care information. These resources aim to improve Canadians’ access to accurate sexual and reproductive health information.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Anna Nagurney, Professor and Eugene M. Isenberg Chair in Integrative Studies, UMass Amherst
Container ships could get stuck at the nation’s East Coast and Gulf Coast ports, while West Coast ports might be disrupted by rerouted cargo.AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton
Whether you’re buying a can of sardines or a screwdriver, getting products to consumers requires that supply chains function well.
The availability of labor is essential in each link of the supply chain. That includes the workers who make sure that your tinned fish and handy tools smoothly journey from their point of origin to where they’ll wind up, whether it’s a supermarket, hardware store or your front door.
Amazingly, 90% of all internationally traded products are carried by ships at some point. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was hard not to notice the supply chain disruptions. For U.S. ports, there were many bouts of congestion. Demand for goods that were either more or less popular than they would normally be became volatile. Shortages of truckers and other freight service providers wreaked havoc on land-based and maritime transportation networks.
Consumers became exasperated when they saw all the empty shelves. They endured price spikes for items that were suddenly scarce, such as hand sanitizer, computer equipment and bleach.
The International Longshoremen’s Association’s six-year contract with the East Coast and Gulf Coast ports will expire on Sept. 30, 2024, at midnight unless the two sides reach an agreement before that deadline. Without a breakthrough, the 45,000 port workers intend to take part in a strike that would paralyze ports from Maine to Texas.
Labor and management disagree over how much to raise wages, and the union also wants to see limits on the use of automation for cranes, gates and trucks at the ports in the new contract. The union is seeking a 77% increase in pay over the next six years and is concerned that jobs may be lost because of automation.
Dockworkers on the West Coast, who are not on strike, are paid much higher regular wages than their East Coast and Gulf Coast counterparts who are preparing for a strike. The West Coast workers earn at least an estimated US$116,000 per year, for a 40-hour work week, versus the roughly $81,000 dockworkers at the East Coast and Gulf Coast ports take home, not counting overtime pay.
If the strike lasts just a day, then it would not be noticeable to a typical consumer. However, businesses of all kinds would no doubt feel the pinch. J.P. Morgan estimates that a strike could cost the U.S. economy $5 billion every day.
If a strike lasts a week, the results would quickly become apparent to most consumers.
Some shipping companies have already begun to reroute their cargo to the West Coast. Even if there’s no strike at all, costs will rise and the warehouses could run out of room.
If the strike were to last a month or more, supplies needed by factories could be in short supply. Numerous consumer products would not be delivered. Workers would be laid off. U.S. exports, including agricultural ones, might get stuck rather than shipped to their destinations. Inflation might increase again. And there would be a new bout of heightened economic anxiety and uncertainty – along with immense financial losses.
All the while, West Coast ports would face unusually high demand for their services, wreaking havoc on shipping there too.
Yes, we’d have no bananas
My research group’s latest work on supply chain disruptions and the effects of various transportation disruptions, including delays, quantifies the impact on the quality of fresh produce. We did a case study on bananas.
Although bananas are relatively easy to ship, they require appropriate temperatures and humidity. Even under the best conditions, their quality deteriorates. Long delays will mean shippers will be trying to foist mushy brown bananas on consumers who might reject them.
Alternatively, banana growers may opt to find other markets. It’s reasonable to expect to find fewer bananas and much higher prices – possibly of a lower quality. Flying bananas to the U.S. would be too expensive to sustain.
If there’s a port strike, tons of fresh produce, including bananas, that would arrive after Oct. 1 would end up having to be discarded. That is unfortunate, given the rising food insecurity rate in the U.S.
The government can invoke the 1947 Taft-Hartley Act, which allows the president to ask a court to order an 80-day cooling-off period when public health or safety is at risk.
So if you’re planning to bake banana bread or were thinking you might get an early start on your holiday shopping, I’d advise you to make those shopping trips as soon as possible – just in case.
Anna Nagurney does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Alexander Novak took part in the Youth Day of the international forum “Russian Energy Week”
September 28, 2024
Alexander Novak took part in the Youth Day of the international forum “Russian Energy Week”
September 28, 2024
Alexander Novak took part in the Youth Day of the international forum “Russian Energy Week”
September 28, 2024
Previous news Next news
Alexander Novak took part in the Youth Day of the international forum “Russian Energy Week”
Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak took part in the Youth Day as part of the international forum “Russian Energy Week”, which traditionally brings together representatives of the youth community – schoolchildren, students, postgraduates and young specialists in the fuel and energy sector.
The Youth Day was held in the format of the intellectual game “Who Wants to Become an Energy Specialist”, co-hosted by Alexander Novak.
Three teams took part in the game, which included managers and representatives of key companies in the industry and students from specialized universities.
The oil and gas industry was represented by the Chairman of the Management Board of PJSC Gazprom Neft Alexander Dyukov and a first-year master’s student in the Oil and Gas Engineering program at the Tyumen Industrial University Maria Sivkova. The mining industry team included Vladimir Rashevsky, a member of the Supervisory Board of the NP Market Council Association, and Ilya Stepanov, a fifth-year student in the Transport Systems of Mining Production program at the Empress Catherine II St. Petersburg Mining University. The electric power industry was represented by Andrey Ryumin, CEO and Chairman of the Management Board of PJSC Rosseti, and Egor Sergeev, a first-year master’s student in the Electric Power Industry and Electrical Engineering program at the National Research University MPEI.
Participants answered questions regarding the history of mineral extraction, the geography of significant industry facilities in Russia and other countries, scientific discoveries, the technological process of energy resource production, etc.
The players had the opportunity to use hints twice – from the audience and experts, who were the rectors of the country’s leading industry universities. Each team answered all seven questions and earned the maximum number of points.
Thus, all three teams won the main prize. The students received the opportunity to intern at the companies PAO Gazprom Neft, the association NP Market Council, PAO Rosseti, and the mentors were invited to intern at the Government of Russia.
“Energy is one of the most high-tech areas where modern digital technologies are being implemented today. Therefore, it is especially pleasant to see talented, proactive schoolchildren, students, young industry specialists in this hall, with whom the future of our energy sector is connected. As you know, Russia is one of the world leaders in the fuel and energy sector, and it is very important for us to maintain these positions,” said Alexander Novak.
At the end of the game, Alexander Novak awarded participants of professional competitions in the oil and gas complex and energy sector: IT Championship of the Oil Industry, International Engineering Championship CASE-IN, All-Russian Competition of Graduation Qualification Works with commemorative diplomas.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
http://government.ru/nevs/52831/
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and or sentence structure not be perfect.
Headline: Rescue Operations Ongoing Following Helene, Needed Supplies Coming to Western NC by Air
Rescue Operations Ongoing Following Helene, Needed Supplies Coming to Western NC by Air mseets
Search and rescue operations remain underway in communities across Western North Carolina and supplies are being brought into the region by air following devastating impacts from Tropical Storm Helene.
“This is a historic and catastrophic storm for Western North Carolina and I’m grateful to first responders working right now to save lives and evacuate residents,” Governor Cooper said. “Efforts are also underway to get power and communications restored, and we’re bringing in needed supplies by air.”
More than 200 people have been rescued from flood waters in North Carolina following Helene’s torrential rains. North Carolina’s search and rescue teams are being bolstered by teams from 19 states and three federal teams.
Many areas in the mountains received more than 10 inches and as much as 29 inches of rain causing catastrophic flooding. High winds gusting up to hurricane strength also brought down trees, power lines and cell towers across the region.
More than 700,000 people remained without power as of this morning and utility crews are responding from across the country for immediate restoration and repair efforts. Sixteen shelters housed approximately 1,100 residents last night.
Cellular telephone service remains spotty west of I-77 due to significant infrastructure damage. Telecommunications partners have activated Disaster Roaming, which allows any phone on any cellular network to access any available network to connect to. Telephone service providers are working to restore communications across the area.
“The State Emergency Response Team is working around the clock responding to severe impacts from Helene’s devastation. We are grateful for our local, state and federal partners and their teamwork to help North Carolinians hit hard by this storm,” said NC Emergency Management Director Will Ray. “Please remain aware of hazards and follow directions from local officials to protect life and safety.”
Across North Carolina, 29 counties and 52 towns and cities have issued States of Emergency, in addition to the statewide State of Emergency declared by Governor Cooper. Governor Cooper yesterday requested a Major Disaster Declaration from the federal government for North Carolina for 39 counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians for federal Public Assistance and Individual Assistance in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene.
As of Saturday morning, about 418 state-maintained roads remained closed, mostly due to flooding. Across the area, 11 landslides have been reported. This includes major closures on Interstates 26 and 40 around Asheville, plus dozens of locations along several U.S. and N.C. highway routes.
State transportation officials continue to urge residents to avoid traveling in western North Carolina, and to consider all roads in that region closed due to damage from the storm. People should go to DriveNC.gov for the latest conditions on roads impacted by Hurricane Helene. Never drive through standing water or go around barricades and road closure signs.
North Carolina residents should call 911 only for emergencies and dial 211 for other types of information. Up-to-date information on local conditions, shelters, traffic, power outages and resources is available at ReadyNC.gov and from county government social media.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Barry Moore
Washington, D.C. — Today, Rep. Barry Moore (AL-02) released a statement after voting against a continuing resolution that funds the woke, weaponized and wasteful spending of the Biden-Harris Administration until December 20th.
Moore previously supported a six-month continuing resolution that included the SAVE Act, but failed to pass. This legislation would have amended the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require proof of United States citizenship to register an individual to vote in elections for Federal office. Moore is a co-sponsor of this legislation.
Since the beginning of the Biden-Harris Administration, more than eight million illegal aliens have entered our country. In many states, these illegals are eligible for driver’s licenses and other benefits, providing ample opportunities to register to vote in federal elections. The SAVE Act passed the House in July, but Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer refuses to consider it in the Senate.
“This continuing resolution does not contain a single conservative win for American families or cut a single penny of the Biden-Harris Administration’s out-of-control spending,” said Moore. “It’s past time conservatives held bureaucrats’ feet to the fire, and I refuse to ride shotgun while the Uniparty drives our country off a cliff.”
The Secretary-General met with H.E. Mr. Badr Abdelatty, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates of the Arab Republic of Egypt. The Secretary-General highlighted Egypt’s important regional role, in particular its political and humanitarian role in support of the people of Gaza.
The Secretary-General and the Minister also discussed the situation in Libya, Sudan and the Horn of Africa, and agreed on the importance of political dialogue to resolve ongoing conflicts.
The two crew members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission launched at 1:17 p.m. EDT Saturday, for a science expedition aboard the International Space Station. This is the first human spaceflight mission launched from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, and the agency’s ninth commercial crew rotation mission to the space station. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket propelled the Dragon spacecraft into orbit carrying NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov. The spacecraft will dock autonomously to the forward-facing port of the station’s Harmony module at approximately 5:30 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 29, where Hague and Gorbunov will join Expedition 72 for a five-month stay aboard the orbiting laboratory. “This mission required a lot of operational and planning flexibility. I congratulate the entire team on a successful launch today, and godspeed to Nick and Aleksandr as they make their way to the space station,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “Our NASA wizards and our commercial and international partners have shown once again the success that comes from working together and adapting to changing circumstances without sacrificing the safe and professional operations of the International Space Station.” During Dragon’s flight, SpaceX will monitor a series of automatic spacecraft maneuvers from its mission control center in Hawthorne, California. NASA will monitor space station operations throughout the flight from the Mission Control Center at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. NASA will provide live coverage of rendezvous, docking, and hatch opening, beginning at 3:30 p.m., Sept. 29, on NASA+ and the agency’s website. NASA also will broadcast the crew welcome ceremony once Hague and Gorbunov are aboard the orbital outpost. Learn how to stream NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media. The duo will join the space station’s Expedition 72 crew of NASA astronauts Michael Barratt, Matthew Dominick, Jeanette Epps, Don Pettit, Butch Wilmore, and Suni Williams, as well as Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexander Grebenkin, Alexey Ovchinin, and Ivan Vagner. The number of crew aboard the space station will increase to 11 for a short time until Crew-8 members Barratt, Dominick, Epps, and Grebenkin depart the space station in early October. The crewmates will conduct more than 200 scientific investigations, including blood clotting studies, moisture effects on plants grown in space, and vision changes in astronauts during their mission. Following their stay aboard the space station, Hague and Gorbunov will be joined by Williams and Wilmore to return to Earth in February 2025. With this mission, NASA continues to maximize the use of the orbiting laboratory, where people have lived and worked continuously for more than 23 years, testing technologies, performing science, and developing the skills needed to operate future commercial destinations in low Earth orbit and explore farther from Earth. Research conducted at the space station benefits people on Earth and paves the way for future long-duration missions to the Moon under NASA’s Artemis campaign, and beyond. More about Crew-9 Hague is the commander of Crew-9 and is making his second trip to the orbital outpost since his selection as an astronaut in 2013. He will serve as a mission specialist during Expedition 72/73 aboard the space station. Follow @AstroHague on X and Instagram. Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov is flying on his first mission. He will serve as a flight engineer during Expeditions 72/73. Learn more about NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission and the agency’s Commercial Crew Program at: https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew -end- Josh Finch / Jimi RussellHeadquarters, Washington202-358-1100joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov / james.j.russell@nasa.gov Steven Siceloff / Danielle Sempsrott / Stephanie PlucinskyKennedy Space Center, Florida321-867-2468steven.p.siceloff@nasa.gov / danielle.c.semprott@nasa.gov / stephanie.n.plucinsky@nasa.gov Leah Cheshier / Sandra JonesJohnson Space Center, Houston281-483-5111leah.d.cheshier@nasa.gov / sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov
Even this grim death toll may be lower than the reality due to under-reporting in the country
The number of those put to death – including some for drugs offences – is the highest since 1990
‘Where else in the world is someone sentenced to death for this?’ – an Egyptian on death row after being convicted of possessing eight grams of hashish
The Saudi Arabian authorities have put to death at least 198 people so far in 2024, the highest number of executions recorded in the country since 1990, Amnesty International said today.
Earlier today, the official Saudi Press Agency confirmed that the 198th execution this year had been carried out, though the real number may be higher given the news agency has previously under-reported the true number of executions in the country.
In 2022, Saudi Arabia executed 196 people – the highest annual number of executions that Amnesty had recorded in the country in the last 30 years. In March 2022, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salma said that the country had “got rid of” the death penalty except for cases where it is mandated under Sharia. Yet, in November 2022, the authorities carried the first executions for drug-related offences in nearly three years, reversing a moratorium on executions for such offences which was announced by the Saudi Human Rights Commission in 2021.
Earlier this year, Amnesty analysed the country’s draft penal code which codifies the death penalty as a punishment and continues to enable judges to use their discretion to impose death sentences for murder, rape, blasphemy and apostasy.
Despite repeated promises to limit the use of the death penalty, the Saudi authorities have ramped up executions while routinely failing to abide by international fair trial standards and safeguards for defendants. Executions for drug-related crimes have soared this year, with 53 carried out so far – with an average of one execution every two days in July alone – rising from just two drug-related executions in 2023.
The authorities have also weaponised the death penalty to silence political dissent, punishing citizens from the country’s Shi’a minority who’ve supported “anti-government” protests between 2011 and 2013. On 17 August, the Saudi Press Agency announced the execution of Abdulmajeed al-Nimr, a retired traffic police officer, for terrorism-related offences related to joining Al-Qaeda. However, his court documents tell another story about his charges, which are related to his alleged support for “anti-government” protests in the country’s Shi’a-majority Eastern Province.
According to a court document reviewed by Amnesty, he was initially sentenced on 25 October 2021 by the Specialised Criminal Court to nine years in prison on charges of “seeking to destabilise the social fabric and national unity by participating in demonstrations … supporting riots, chanting slogans against the state and its rulers”, as well as “dissenting against the decision to arrest and prosecute wanted individuals”, and for joining a WhatsApp group that included people wanted for security purposes. On appeal, his punishment was increased to a death sentence. The court did not make a single reference to Al-Nimr’s supposed involvement with Al-Qaeda.
After Al-Nimr’s arrest on 28 October 2017 he was denied access to a lawyer for around two years during his interrogations and pre-trial detention. He spent three months in detention without being informed of the reason for his arrest. According to the court document, Al-Nimr’s conviction was based solely on a “confession” he said was obtained under duress, including being detained in solitary confinement for a month-and-a-half.
Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, said:
“The death penalty is an abhorrent and inhuman punishment which Saudi Arabia has used against people for a wide range of offences, including political dissent and drug-related charges following grossly unfair trials.
“The authorities must immediately establish a moratorium on executions, and order re-trials for those on death row in line with international standards without resorting to the death penalty.”
Executed for drugs offences
So far in 2024, the Saudi authorities have executed 53 people solely for drug-related offences. Only two such offences were recorded in the country in 2023. Since July, 53 people have been executed for drug-related offences, 38 of whom were foreign nationals. This spike in executions raises serious fears for the fate of dozens of prisoners convicted of similar offences and currently on death row. Earlier today, the authorities executed two Egyptian men who were detained in Tabuk Prison for drug-related crimes.
Amnesty has previously documented the cases of four Egyptian men held on death row in Tabuk Prison for drug-related offences. The four are among a group of at least 50 people on death row for drug-related crimes in Tabuk Prisons, the majority of whom are Egyptian.
This month, Omar (a pseudonym), one of the detained men, told Amnesty:
“I’ve been on death row for seven years for the possession of eight grams of hashish. I was also convicted of the intent to receive drugs, which I didn’t confess to and have denied. Where else in the world is someone sentenced to death for this? I have asked all governmental entities who may know – from the Ministry of Interior to the Supreme Judicial Council, and no one could tell me the status of my case. My son grew up without me for seven years. This makes me feel like I’m already a dead man … A few days ago, I shared a final meal with one of my fellow inmates before he was taken to be executed the next morning. He didn’t know about his impending execution until that morning. All I want to know is the status of my case.”
The authorities sentenced these men to death in January 2019 on various drug-related charges and upheld the sentence in November 2019. Since then, the men have received no information about the status of their case. According to the court document analysed by Amnesty, the four men had no legal representation throughout their pre-trial detention, interrogations and preliminary trial resulting in their death sentence. Following their conviction, the court stated that they have the right to a legal representative to submit appeal proceedings. However, the court only appointed a lawyer for one of the men.
Statement from Premier Wab Kinew on Fallen Firefighter Ceremony
As Manitobans gather to honour fallen firefighters, I encourage all of us to take time to reflect on the sacrifices of those who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
Six names are being added to the memorial this year and each name represents one of the brave Manitobans we lost this year that have left a legacy of service.
Each of them lived up to the belief we all have as Manitobans that we don’t leave anyone behind and we help those who need it most. We get up every day and work together to make this province a better place, no matter what walk of life you come from.
Firefighters show up for us on some of our worst days and show incredible bravery and courage each day in carrying out their duties.
As a government, we will continue to work to support those who keep our communities safe.
Painting of an unknown 21-year-old man, widely supposed to be Christopher Marlowe (1585).Corpus Christi College
In Shakespeare’s time, about a quarter of all plays were collaboratively written by two or more dramatists. Christopher Marlowe’s classic work Doctor Faustus was first performed in the 1580s or early 1590s but only published in 1604, 11 years after his death. The dramatists Samuel Rowley and William Bird were paid in 1602 to write new additions to the play.
However, researchers have long suspected that the original play was not written by Marlowe alone. Its broader comic parts, largely in prose, have been thought to be the work of a second writer who never got the credit they deserved.
Previous research has suggested one of the dramatists Thomas Nashe or Henry Porter. Nashe left us only one play, Summer’s Last Will and Testament (1592). Porter wrote several in collaboration with other dramatists, but only one sole-authored play survives, The Two Angry Women of Abingdon (1599).
So, can a new computer analysis of texts resolve this question and finally credit the second author of Doctor Faustus?
In an article in the journal Notes & Queries and a piece in the Guardian, Darren Freebury-Jones describes computer techniques that point to Marlowe’s co-author being Porter. But we have found methodological problems in Freebury-Jones’s approach, and believe the evidence he presents does not support the conclusions he draws from it.
Computational analysis can certainly generate new knowledge about authorship, but his work is not a convincing example of this burgeoning art.
Unique matches
Freebury-Jones’s Notes & Queries article presents tables from a free online dataset, Collocations and N-Grams, created by independent Shakespeare analyst Pervez Rizvi. For 527 plays from the 1550s to the 1650s (pretty much all of those that have survived from this period), the dataset lists all four-word phrases that each play has in common with the other 526.
But the phrases Rizvi considers most significant are those that appear only in the play under consideration and one other play – known as “unique matches”. For each of the 527 plays, he ranks which other plays have the most unique matches to it.
If these rare phrases are particular to each dramatist’s idiolect (unique way of speaking), then researchers should, for example, find at the top of the Macbeth table some other plays by Shakespeare. And we do: among the top-ten plays that share the most unique matches with Macbeth are Julius Caesar, Coriolanus, King Lear and Hamlet.
But while the top-ten list for Macbeth gives grounds for optimism about Freebury-Jones’s method, since four of its plays are Shakespeare’s, the top-ten list for Doctor Faustus, reproduced below, dashes this:
The Taming of a Shrew
A Trick to Catch the Old One
The Devil’s Charter
Albumazar
Caesar and Pompey, or Caesar’s Revenge
The Family of Love
Messalina, the Roman Empress
The Sisters
The Two Angry Women of Abingdon
Tamburlaine
While Porter is present in this list as the author of The Two Angry Women of Abingdon, Marlowe himself has only one play in it: Tamburlaine (1587) at position ten. If this method were detecting authorship, Marlowe’s other plays should dominate the list, just as the Macbeth list is dominated by Shakespeare plays.
Moreover, Porter’s play also appears at number ten for unique matches with Macbeth. This suggests the evidence for Porter being a coauthor of Macbeth is almost as strong as for Doctor Faustus – but Freebury-Jones makes no mention of this.
Illustration from the title page of a 1620 edition of Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus. John Wright
Porter can hardly be expected to dominate any top-ten list as Shakespeare does for Macbeth, since he left us only play. In contrast, with his roughly 1 million words of writing, Shakespeare presents a much greater “surface area” to any method that counts rare words or phrases – so he has more opportunities than anyone else to write the rare phrases we are looking for. To compensate for this, Rizvi discounts the significance of matches to authors with large canons.
Freebury-Jones mentions that the raw counts “are divided by the combined word counts for each pairing”, which is the scaling process Rizvi describes in the notes to Collocations and N-Grams. But nobody knows if this is the right way to scale for different canons or not, because the science of this problem has not been explored.
Rizvi changed his scaling formula in 2018 at my (Gabriel Egan’s) suggestion. But I did not claim to have solved the problem, and I consider it an open question whether we can derive a fair formula for such scaling.
Furthermore, Rizvi’s dataset does not distinguish between the plays that Shakespeare wrote alone and those he co-wrote, so his scaling factor treats as Shakespeare’s some substantial writings of other authors.
Further problems
This highlights another question with the analysis. In the top-ten list for unique matches with Macbeth are two plays co-authored by the dramatists Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher: The Woman Hater (1606) and Philaster (1620).
So, what should a researcher do when a play has more than one author? One response is to count matches to Beaumont’s part separately from matches to Fletcher’s part, using the widely accepted divisions of these two plays – as first proposed by Cyrus Hoy, an expert in the English Renaissance stage, in 1958. Alternatively, you could exclude co-authored plays entirely, as many authorship investigators do.
But Freebury-Jones says nothing about this problem of judging writers by their co-authored works. This consideration bears somewhat on Macbeth too, since many Shakespearians believe the playwright Thomas Middleton wrote about 5%-10% of it.
So where does all this leave Porter? Freebury-Jones ends his Notes & Queries piece with a cautious claim: “We may reasonably conclude that Henry Porter is a likelier candidate than [Thomas] Nashe for Marlowe’s collaborator on Doctor Faustus.”
But in speaking to the Guardian, he abandoned this caution. He reports being “astonished by just how close the dramatic language of Doctor Faustus actually was to Porter”, and insists that we must recognise “Porter as the most likely collaborator”.
It’s possible that Porter did co-write Doctor Faustus. But the problems with Freebury-Jones’s analysis mean that, for now, we still can’t say for sure.
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The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Mireille Rebeiz, Chair of Middle East Studies & Associate Professor of Francophone & Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies, Dickinson College
A picture of the secretary-general of Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah is seen among the rubble following an Israeli air strike.Str-/picture alliance via Getty Images
Israel has killed the leader of the militant group Hezbollah in a airstrike in Beirut, marking a further escalation of hostilities in the region.
The death of Hassan Nasrallah, confirmed by Hezbollah on Sept 28, 2024, forms part of a major Israeli push against the Iran-backed group in recent days that has resulted in the death of several top leaders – but also killed hundreds of civilians and left many more fleeing Lebanon’s south in fear of a ground invasion.
But what is Hezbollah? What exactly is its role in Lebanon? And how big a blow is Nasrallah’s death? The Conversation turned to Mireille Rebeiz, a Lebanon expert at Dickinson College who is writing her second book on Hezbollah, to help explain.
What is Hezbollah? And what role does it play in Lebanon?
Officially, the group came into existence in 1985 with the publication of a manifesto that detailed Hezbollah’s aims for the region. The manifesto outlined a plan to duplicate the Iranian revolution of 1979 in Lebanon and create a Shiite Islamic state. It pledged allegiance to the Supreme Leader of the Iranian Revolution, Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini, and vowed to fight the Israeli occupation of Lebanon and the Palestinian territories.
The Lebanese Civil War ended in 1991 with the signing of the “Taif Agreement,” in which warring factions agreed that a political and democratic process was the only way to move forward in Lebanon. Consequently, Hezbollah had to develop a political wing, and in 1992 Hezbollah entered the political ring, running for national elections and winning 12 out of 128 parliamentarian seats.
But while the peace agreement called for the disarmament of militia groups, Hezbollah was allowed to retain its armed wing as a “resistance” group, fighting Israeli occupation in south Lebanon.
Many Lebanese political parties allied themselves with Hezbollah at this juncture. While these parties did not necessarily share the group’s views or its commitment to Iran, they were similarly committed to fight the Israeli occupation, and Hezbollah fighters were the main force doing so.
Hezbollah’s presence in parliament and the Lebanese government, and its alliance with various political parties, allowed it to control the country and veto decisions that do not fit its agenda or promote its interest.
Since 2005, Lebanon has had three presidential lapses: from Nov. 2007 to May 2008, from May 2014 to October 2016, and from Oct. 31, 2023 until today. The parliamentarian Speaker, Nabih Berri, who is Shiite and known for his allegiance to Hezbollah, refuses to convene the parliament for presidential elections unless the nominee is approved by Hezbollah and its allies.
As well as having a political and military wing, Hezbollah also provides various services, such as social welfare, health care, utilities, education and even security to his community.
Is it right to see Hezbollah primarily as a Iran-backed militia?
Yes — Hezbollah is primarily an Iranian-backed militia. It exists to serve the Iranian regime and expand its ideology in the region, as set out in the group’s 1985 manifesto. In 2009, Hezbollah issued a new manifesto in which it reaffirmed its commitment to the Shiite Islamic resistance led by Tehran.
As to its financial and military support, in 2016, Nasrallah confirmed: “Hezbollah’s budget, everything it eats and drinks, its weapons and rockets, comes from the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
Furthermore, with the backing of Iran, Hezbollah was able to create and expand its own illegal financial network through money laundering, drug trafficking and other unlawful activities.
Along with Iran, Syria has played a major role in Hezbollah’s development. The Taif Agreement called for Syrian Armed Forces to enter Lebanon for a two-year period to help establish law and order after more than a decade of civil war.
But it stayed in Lebanon for over 16 years, and the Syrian government’s closeness to the Iranian regime made Hezbollah a perfect ally. So much so, that when civil war broke out in Syria in 2011, Hezbollah emerged as a major actor in that conflict, sending thousands of Lebanese fighters to Syria to assist the government’s efforts to suppress a popular uprising.
But others started pushing for Hezbollah to cease its military operations and for the Lebanese Armed Forces to take over Hezbollah’s task in securing Lebanon’s borders.
The killing sparked massive anti-government, anti-Syrian and anti-Hezbollah protests on the streets of Beirut. The subsequent Cedar Revolution led to the departure of the Syrian forces from Lebanon and marked a drop in Hezbollah’s popularity, in general.
A Lebanese woman grieves the death of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri in 2005. Haitham Mussawi/AFP via Getty Images
This drop was apparent in the 2005 elections, in which an anti-Syrian and anti-Hezbollah political coalition claimed victory.
Since 2005, Lebanon has seen a series of events that indicate a clear opposition to Hezbollah. Several journalists and political figures were assassinated for speaking out against Hezbollah and Syria. Their deaths outraged many Lebanese.
And in 2015, the “You Stink” environmental movement was born to protest political corruption and Hezbollah’s control of waste management.
In 2019, a similar protest movement was born in which Lebanese took to the streets to express their frustration against corruption and inflation. Under the slogan “All Means All,” Lebanese protested all political parties — including Hezbollah.
These events indicate Lebanese dissatisfaction with Hezbollah.
A 2020 poll showed a drop in Hezbollah’s popularity even among the Shiite community, which makes up about a third of the population.
Polling during the almost year of hostilities following the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hezbollah ally Hamas on Israel suggests that Hezbollah’s influence continues to exceed its popularity. An Arab Barometer poll of Lebanese in early 2024 found that only 30% trust Hezbollah, whereas 55% said they do not trust the group at all. While Hezbollah still retains the trust of 85% of Shiites, only 9% of Sunnis and Druze and 6% of Christians trust the militia.
What is Hezbollah’s structure?
Originally, Hezbollah leadership consisted of a religious council of seven members created in the 1980s; it has branches and committees that govern different affairs including finances, social, political and military issues. This religious council, or “Shura Council,” has regional offices in Beirut, the Bekaa Valley in the country’s eastern region and south Lebanon.
At the end of the Lebanese Civil War, two more bodies were added: an executive council and a politburo, or central political body. The religious council was chaired by Sayyid Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah, who offered religious guidance to the Shiite community and was often described as Hezbollah’s spiritual leader.
Both the council and Hezbollah swear allegiance to Iran’s Supreme Leader. The council is also tasked to select Hezbollah’s Secretary General.
After the Israeli assassination of Hezbollah’s co-founder, Abbas al-Musawi, in 1992, Hassan Nasrallah assumed this role and remained Secretary General until his death in Beirut in the current Israeli campaign.
What impact will Nasrallah’s death have on Hezbollah’s operations?
The assassinations of Hezbollah commanders are meant to remove major decision-makers. The death of Secretary General Nasrallah is a definite blow to the group, which is already vulnerable from last week’s attacks. The goal is to demoralize its fighters.
Furthermore, these attacks convey a clear message that Israel will no longer accept the tit-for-tat attacks on its northern border.
However, Israel may not necessarily get its desired impact.
The situation now is fluid and it’s hard to predict what will happen next. But the fresh wave of violence may only reinforce Hezbollah’s resolve.
Furthermore, it might see more involvement of other Hezbollah-aligned players into the region, such as the Houthis in Yemen and Kata’ib Hizballah in Iraq.
Following the announcement of Nasrallah’s death, Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei threatened Israel and vowed more support to Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Mireille Rebeiz is affiliated with the American Red Cross.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Today, Governor Ron DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis announced the activation of the Florida Disaster Fund to support communities impacted by Hurricane Helene. The fund is a component of the Volunteer Florida Foundation and supports recovery initiatives including Activate Hope.
The Florida Disaster Fund is the State of Florida’s official private fund established to assist Florida’s communities as they respond to and recover during times of emergency or disaster. In partnership with the public sector, private sector, and other non-governmental organizations, the Florida Disaster Fund supports response and recovery activities.
Donations made to the Disaster Fund are tax-deductible. Donations may be made by visiting FloridaDisasterFund.org, or by mail to the below address. Checks should be made payable to the Volunteer Florida Foundation and should include “Florida Disaster Fund” in the memo line.
Volunteer Florida Foundation Attention: Florida Disaster Fund 1545 Raymond Diehl Road Suite 250 Tallahassee, FL 32308
Serving as the emergency response arm for the Hope Florida initiative, Activate Hope pulls together the private sector, nonprofits, and government resources to help Floridians get back on their feet following disaster. Activate Hope is currently helping to connect Floridians with food, household goods, home repairs, and resources following Hurricane Helene.
Volunteer Florida is the state’s lead agency for volunteerism and community service. Established in 1994 as the Florida Commission on Community Service, Volunteer Florida promotes volunteerism and community service throughout the state, administers national service programs, and coordinates disaster recovery efforts in impacted communities.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Chuck Edwards (NC-11)
Dear Friend,
Yesterday morning around 8:30 a.m., Hurricane Helene hit our beautiful mountains with a ferocity unmatched by any storm in our district’s history. We have witnessed 1,000-year flooding, and with more rain expected this afternoon, we are not out of the woods.
But I have been encouraged by the number of neighbors I’ve seen helping neighbors, and I know our community will persist. Mountain folk are resilient. We will make it through this, together.
To keep you informed, I am committed to sending you a daily update on the steps being taken to respond and recover from Hurricane Helene. Today is update number one, with more information to follow in the coming days. Please make sure to read it through and share it with your friends and family.
Food and water
Far and wide, the biggest need of every county in NC-11 is access to food and potable water.
A total of 37 water systems are on a system-wide boil water advisory across North Carolina, with 31 systems awaiting results to hopefully allow for the water to be turned back on.
Potable water and meals are actively en route from central North Carolina to Western North Carolina.
Air operations for food and water deliveries begin this afternoon in areas without roadway access.
Power and Gas
Power outages are widespread but accessibility for repairs is limited.
Currently, there is no established timeline for restorations.
More than 700,000 North Carolinians lost power due to the storm.
Power for 281,000 of the initial 700,000 has been restored, but Western North Carolina faces a unique challenge due to the high number of road closures throughout the district.
Duke Energy warns that Western North Carolinians should be prepared for potential multi-day outages, though energy providers are doing everything they can to restore power quickly.
Duke Energy has 11,000 workers working quickly and safely on repairs, including additional crews from 19 states and Canada.
Fuel planning is ongoing for both rescue operations and communications resources.
Fuel contracts have been activated.
A fuel contract provides a steady fuel reserve during an emergency.
For local governments in need of fuel for their vehicles
Ensure your Emergency Operation Center has submitted the request for gasoline with North Carolina Emergency Management to have your request processed and gasoline delivered.
Gasoline can also be delivered via air if road access is limited.
Roads
North Carolina Department of Transportation has issued a “DO NOT DRIVE” message for Western North Carolina.
Unless it is an emergency, please do not try to travel.
Roughly 400 roads are closed in Western North Carolina, with the majority being in Henderson (50), Buncombe (25) and Jackson (21) counties.
73 of these are primary routes including I-40, I-26, U.S. 74 at I-40 in Asheville, and dozens of U.S. and N.C. routes.
Most of the current closures are due to high water where the roadway is impassable or flooded, land/rockslides, downed power lines, pipe failures, and fallen trees.
More than 1,500 employees from across the state have deployed to Western North Carolina to address road closures related to the storm.
Crews are actively working to clear trees and rock/landslide debris throughout Western North Carolina to reestablish accessibility, including clearing efforts along the I-40 and I-26 corridors.
Asheville Regional Airport
Asheville Regional Airport closed mid-day on Friday, September 27 due to flooding.
The airport is expected to reopen by mid-day today, Saturday, September 28.
Cell Service
Western North Carolina has seen severe cell service outages due to the severe weather.
Madison County is worst affected, with less than 8 percent capacity available through Verizon.
Service providers have deployed Compact Rapid Deployables throughout Western North Carolina, including to Hendersonville, Lake Junaluska, and Waynesville, with more en route.
Compact Rapid Deployables are a transportable cell tower and internet access point, that can generate wired internet and wi-fi coverage anytime and anywhere.
Service providers have deployed SatCOLTs throughout Western North Carolina, including to Asheville and Hendersonville, with more en route.
SatCOLT stands for “Satellite Cells on Light Trucks” and are vehicles with mobile cell sites that connect via satellite and do not rely on commercial power supply.
North Carolina National Guard
410 North Carolina National Guard soldiers and airmen have been deployed to provide support to Western North Carolina so far.
This includes the deployment of 146 vehicles and 12 aircraft.
The Asheville National Guard armory has relocated to East Flat Rock due to lost power so they may continue operations and providing support to Western North Carolina.
Shelters
For those unable to evacuate to a safe location or in need of a place to go, the following shelters are currently open and available as of September 28:
Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Ron Johnson
Americans are facing a healthcare crisis, and those who question the current orthodoxy or offer alternative treatments are ridiculed, vilified, and canceled. On September 23, I was joined by a highly qualified group of doctors and nutritional experts to discuss our nation’s health and ask questions we haven’t been allowed to ask.
The roundtable discussion, American Health and Nutrition: A Second Opinion, provided a foundational and historical understanding of the changes that have occurred over the last century within agriculture, food processing, and healthcare industries, which impact the current state of national health.
WATCH FULL ROUNDTABLE (4 hours)
If you can’t spend the full 4 hours watching, I’d suggest you watch these quick highlights from Monday’s roundtable. It captures important points and powerful testimony.
WATCH 14-MINUTE HIGHLIGHT VIDEO
Dr. Casey Means explains that our food is leading to chronic illness. We can’t even ask questions without being ridiculed or vilified.
Dr. Means: “If the current trends continue… At best, we’re going to face profound societal instability and decreased American competitiveness, and at worst, we’re going to be looking at a genocidal level health collapse…” (Watch)
Other panelists included:
The greatest threat to our nation is that we are so horribly divided. We all agree on the major goals of life: safety, security, and raising our children well. I have no idea the political affiliation of this panel, but it doesn’t make any difference. This is a nonpartisan issue, and through these conversations, we can set an example of how to heal and unify our great nation.
WATCH: Sen. Johnson closing remarks on unity (2 minutes)
It was standing room only in the historic Kennedy Caucus room. Two overflow rooms were needed to handle the crowds. Thank you to everyone who attended and participated in the roundtable. I hope America is listening and starts examining how and what they eat.
WATCH: Sen. Johnson on Newsmax discusses roundtable
Headline: FEMA Administrator Surveys Damage in Florida as Hurricane Helene Response Efforts Continue
FEMA Administrator Surveys Damage in Florida as Hurricane Helene Response Efforts Continue
WASHINGTON — Today, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell is in Florida surveying damage and assessing the need for federal resources to support Hurricane Helene response activities.
This whole-of-government effort includes the support of more than 2,300 federal personnel and voluntary agencies across six states. More than 800 FEMA personnel are deployed to assist with response efforts and are working to determine the scope of the storm’s impact and coordinate resource support and assistance.
The Biden-Harris Administration approved emergency declarations in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. This type of declaration allows federal resources to begin flowing immediately as damage assessments are conducted to determine what additional resources may be available if a major disaster is declared.
FEMA’s priority remains providing life-saving and life sustaining support to affected areas. FEMA deployed Urban Search and Rescue teams with more than 1,270 personnel and Swift Water Rescue Capabilities to affected states. Our non-profit partners including the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, Convoy of Hope, Heart to Heart International and others are actively supporting survivors by providing emergency sheltering, food, water, clean up kits, healthcare supplies and other disaster relief items. Team Rubicon teams are helping to clear roads while the Salvation Army deployed seven mobile feeding units and crews.
As people begin to assess damage, it is important to continue listening to local officials for instructions and be aware of the possibility of life-threating post-storm hazards. People can download the free FEMA App available in English and Spanish languages to receive real-time weather alerts and find local emergency shelters in their area.
People who need help reconnecting with loved ones missing after the hurricane can call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) and provide as much detail available to assist operators in potentially locating missing loved ones. More than 540 American Red Cross volunteers are in the affected areas supporting communities with sheltering needs, reunification efforts and post-storm care.
What People Can Do Now
If you evacuated, do not return home until local officials say it is safe to do so.
Stay out of floodwaters. People experiencing heavy rain and flooding should not wade through flood waters, which can contain debris, chemicals, waste and wildlife, as well as downed powerlines that can electrically charge the water. Turn Around, Don’t Drown!
Be safe during an outage. If you are without power, use only flashlights or battery-powered lanterns for emergency lighting.
Text instead of calling. While cellular service is limited in several areas, it’s easier to get in touch with loved ones by texting instead of calling.
Use generators safely. If there is a power outage, use generators safely. Always use them outdoors and at least 20 feet from windows, doors and attached garages. Make sure to keep the generator dry and protected from rain or flooding.
For people who are beginning to clean up, make sure to document any property damage with photos and video contact your insurance company for assistance and next steps.
People with a National Flood Insurance Program insurance policy who suffered flood damage can begin filing a claim with a phone call to their flood insurance agent or company.
Responding to Hurricane Helene is a Whole-of- Community Effort
Non-profit and charitable organizations are on the frontlines of the response to Hurricane Helene, providing critical support to people and communities. Here are just a few examples of the important work some of these organizations are doing on the ground.
American Red Cross (ARC) has more than 540 Red Cross responders deployed to affected areas with another 350 responders in route. As of Saturday morning, at least 1,900 people are in more than 80 shelters. More than 30 ARC Emergency Response Vehicles are supporting and 24 additional vehicles are in route. Anyone who needs a safe place to go can find information on redcross.org or by downloading the free Red Cross Emergency app by texting GETEMERGENCY to 90999.
Salvation Army is in Georgia providing meals at six emergency shelters. In Florida, a total of five mobile feeding units are in Tallahassee and 12 are in Perry. The Salvation Army is also responding to requests for cleanup kits and blankets. In North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky, the Salvation Army is responding to requests for meal service to communities affected by the storm. More response information is available at helpsalvationarmy.org.
Capacity Path Relief deployed two teams for community support in Florida’s Big Bend and southwest coastal areas and is expanding support to fill requests from numerous counties. Additional teams are collaborating with local EOCs and coordinating with agency and feeding partners. They are also offering mental health support to teams supporting the response.
Convoy of Hope is stationed in Perry, Florida and is distributing disaster supplies to survivors and is communicating with the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office to provide support as needed.
Heart to Heart International (HHI) is in Florida with hygiene kits and pharmaceuticals/healthcare supplies for survivors if needed.
Crisis Cleanup is currently working to help survivors clean up damage from Hurricane Helene. Organizations that would like to help can register at www.crisiscleanup.org/register.
Food for the Poor will deliver five pallets of hygiene kits to Catholic Charities in Saint Petersburg and Tampa, Florida and are deploying disaster kits which include tarps and hygiene kits, women’s care kits and children’s activity kits.
Operation Hope is prepared to support survivors with assistance applications, insurance claims, disaster recovery plans and document recovery. Survivors can find information by visiting www.operationhope.org.
Source: United States Small Business Administration
WASHINGTON – Low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) are available to businesses and residents in Vermont following the announcement of a Presidential disaster declaration for severe storms, flooding, landslides and mudslides that occurred July 29-31.
“SBA’s mission-driven team stands ready to help Vermont small businesses and residents impacted by this disaster in every way possible under President Biden’s disaster declaration for certain affected areas,” said SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman. “We’re committed to providing federal disaster loans swiftly and efficiently, with a customer-centric approach to help businesses and communities recover and rebuild.”
The disaster declaration covers Caledonia, Essex and Orleans counties which are eligible for both Physical and Economic Injury Disaster Loans from the SBA. Small businesses and most private nonprofit organizations in the following adjacent counties are eligible to apply only for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs): Franklin, Lamoille, Orange and Washington in Vermont; and Coos and Grafton in New Hampshire.
SBA’s Business Recovery Center (BRC) is open to assist businesses complete their disaster loan application, accept documents, and provide updates on an application’s status. Walk-ins are accepted, but you can schedule an in-person appointment at an SBA Business Recovery Center in advance. The Center will operate as indicated below.
Business Recovery Center (BRC)
Washington County
Barre Municipal Auditorium
20 Auditorium Hill
Barre, VT 05641
Hours: Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Closed: Sunday
Disaster survivors should not wait to settle with their insurance company before applying for a disaster loan. If a survivor does not know how much of their loss will be covered by insurance or other sources, SBA can make a low-interest disaster loan for the total loss up to its loan limits, provided the borrower agrees to use insurance proceeds to reduce or repay the loan.
Businesses and private nonprofit organizations of any size may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets.
For small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private nonprofit organizations, the SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster. Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance is available regardless of whether the business suffered any physical property damage.
Disaster loans up to $500,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters are eligible for up to $100,000 to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed personal property.
Interest rates are as low as 4% for businesses, 3.25% for nonprofit organizations, and 2.688% for homeowners and renters, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not begin to accrue, and monthly payments are not due, until 12 months from the date of the initial disbursement. Loan amounts and terms are set by the SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition.
Building back smarter and stronger can be an effective recovery tool for future disasters. Applicants may be eligible for a loan amount increase of up to 20% of their physical damages, as verified by the SBA for mitigation purposes. Eligible mitigation improvements may include a safe room or storm shelter, sump pump, French drain or retaining wall to help protect property and occupants from future disasters.
“SBA’s disaster loan program offers an important advantage–the chance to incorporate measures that can reduce the risk of future damage,” said Francisco Sánchez, Jr., associate administrator for the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the Small Business Administration. “Work with contractors and mitigation professionals to strengthen your property and take advantage of the opportunity to request additional SBA disaster loan funds for these proactive improvements.”
With the changes to FEMA’s Sequence of Delivery, survivors are now encouraged to simultaneously apply for FEMA grants and the SBA low-interest disaster loan assistance to fully recover. FEMA grants are intended to cover necessary expenses and serious needs not paid by insurance or other sources. The SBA disaster loan program is designed for your long-term recovery, to make you whole and get you back to your pre-disaster condition. Do not wait on the decision for a FEMA grant; apply online and receive additional disaster assistance information at sba.gov/disaster.
Applicants may also call the SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or send an email to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is Nov. 25, 2024. The deadline to return economic injury applications is June 26, 2025.
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About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. 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.
Source: United States Small Business Administration
ATLANTA – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced today that it will open Disaster Loan Outreach Centers (DLOCs) at 11 a.m. Monday, Sept. 30 at the Wiltown Community Center in Adams Run, Colleton County Taxpayer Service Center in Walterboro, and the Dorchester County Library, in St. George, to assist South Carolinians with applying for SBA disaster loans for losses due to Tropical Storm Debby that occurred on Aug. 4-22.
The declaration includes the primary counties of Berkeley and Orangeburg and the adjacent counties of Aiken, Bamberg, Barnwell, Calhoun, Charleston, Clarendon, Colleton, Dorchester, Georgetown, Lexington and Williamsburg in South Carolina.
“When disasters strike, our Disaster Loan Outreach Centers are key to helping business owners and residents get back on their feet,” said Francisco Sánchez, Jr., associate administrator for the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the Small Business Administration. “At these centers, people can connect directly with our specialists to apply for disaster loans and learn about the full range of programs available to rebuild and move forward in their recovery journey.”
Customer Service Representatives are available at the Centers to assist business owners complete their disaster loan application, accept documents, and provide updates on an application’s status. Walk-ins are accepted, but you can schedule an in-person appointment at an SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Center in advance. The Centers will operate as indicated below.
Disaster Loan Outreach Center (DLOC)
Berkeley County
Berkeley County Administration Building
1003 US-52
Moncks Corner, SC 29461
Hours: Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Closed: Sunday
Permanently Closes: Wednesday, Oct. 9 at 4 p.m.
Disaster Loan Outreach Center (DLOC)
Charleston County
Wiltown Community Center
5779 Parkers Ferry Rd
Adams Runs, SC 29426
Opening: Monday, Sept. 30 at 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Hours: Monday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Closed: Saturday and Sunday
Permanently Closes: Friday, Oct 4 at 4 p.m.
Disaster Loan Outreach Center (DLOC)
Colleton County
Colleton County Taxpayer Service Center
118 Benson St.
Walterboro, SC 29488
Opening: Monday, Sept. 30 at 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Hours: Monday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Tuesday – Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Closed: Sunday
Permanently Closes: Saturday, Oct. 5 at 2 p.m.
Disaster Loan Outreach Center (DLOC)
Dorchester County
Dorchester County Library
506 North Parlor Ave
St. George, SC 29477
Opening: Monday, Sept. 30 at 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Hours: Monday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Tuesday – Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Closed: Sunday
Permanently Closes: Monday, Oct. 7 at 4 p.m.
Disaster Loan Outreach Center (DLOC)
Orangeburg County
Bowman Library
7105 Charleston Hwy
Bowman, SC 29018
Hours: Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Closed: Sunday
Permanently Closes: Wednesday, Oct. 9 at 4 p.m.
For more information and to apply online visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is Nov. 18, 2024. The deadline to return economic injury applications is June 18, 2025.
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About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. 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.
Source: United States Small Business Administration
ATLANTA – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced today that it has extended the deadline for survivors of the severe storms and flooding from June 16 through July 4 to file their applications for disaster assistance. Minnesota residents now have until Oct. 27, to apply for federal disaster loans for physical damage.
The disaster declaration covers the primary counties of Blue Earth, Cook, Cottonwood, Faribault, Freeborn, Goodhue, Itasca, Jackson, Lake, Le Sueur, Martin, Mower, Murray, Nicollet, Nobles, Rice, Rock, St. Louis, Steele, Waseca and Watonwan in Minnesota, which are eligible for both Physical and Economic Injury Disaster Loans from the SBA. Small businesses and most private nonprofit organizations in the following adjacent counties are eligible to apply only for Economic Injury Disaster Loans: Aitkin, Beltrami, Brown, Carlton, Cass, Dakota, Dodge, Fillmore, Koochiching, Lyon, Olmsted, Pipestone, Redwood, Renville, Scott, Sibley and Wabasha in Minnesota; Dickinson, Emmet, Howard, Kossuth, Lyon, Mitchell, Osceola, Winnebago and Worth in Iowa; Minnehaha and Moody in South Dakota; and Douglas, Pepin and Pierce in Wisconsin.
With the changes to FEMA’s Sequence of Delivery, survivors are now encouraged to simultaneously apply for FEMA grants and the SBA low-interest disaster loan assistance to fully recover. FEMA grants are intended to cover necessary expenses and serious needs not paid by insurance or other sources. The SBA disaster loan program is designed for your long-term recovery, to make you whole and get you back to your pre-disaster condition. Do not wait on the decision for a FEMA grant; apply online and receive additional disaster assistance information at sba.gov/disaster.
Applicants may also call the SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or send an email to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
Submit completed loan applications to SBA no later than Oct. 27, 2024. The deadline to submit economic injury applications is April 29, 2025.
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About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. 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.
The Albanese Government is investing $70.9 million to get almost 1,500 new teachers from a range of backgrounds into schools across the country.
The Government is tripling the number of teachers entering into the High Achieving Teachers (HAT) Program, which provides financial assistance, mentoring and training to get teachers into the classroom more quickly, helping to tackle the teacher workforce shortage.
The funding will be provided to ten providers to get more people, including mid-career professionals and high-achieving school leavers, into the teaching profession.
The HAT Program is part of the National Teacher Workforce Action Plan that Education Ministers agreed to in 2022.
It builds on the success of Phase 1 of the HAT Program already underway in Victoria and New South Wales with 94 per cent of graduates from the La Trobe Nexus program continuing to teach after graduating.
The providers will support the teachers-in-training to complete their qualifications and make a successful start in the classroom, providing them with the skills they need to commence a career in teaching.
Participants receive a salary and split their time between practical teaching in the classroom and studying.
The new school teachers will start to be placed into schools that need them the most in 2025.
The program focuses on attracting new teachers, including with a STEM background, First Nations peoples, people with disability, teacher aides and people based in remote locations.
They will teach across all states and territories, in government and non-government schools, and across primary and secondary schools.
A list of successful providers from the open-competitive grant opportunity follows:
The Secretary General met with H.E. Mr. Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Cooperation and Burkinabe Abroad of Burkina Faso. They discussed the political, humanitarian, security and development situation in Burkina Faso and the Sahel region.
The Secretary-General underscored the importance to ensure peace and stability in Burkina Faso and the Sahel region.
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Le Secrétaire général a rencontré S.E.M. Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré, Ministre des Affaires étrangères, de la Coopération régionale et des Burkinabés de l’Extérieur du Burkina Faso. Leur échange a porté sur la situation politique, humanitaire, sécuritaire et du développement au Burkina Faso et dans la région du Sahel.
Le Secrétaire général a souligné, entre autres, la nécessité d’assurer la paix et la stabilité au Burkina Faso et dans la région du Sahel.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Neal Dunn (2nd District of Florida)
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Neal Dunn (Florida-02) sent a letter to President Biden supporting Governor DeSantis’ request for an expedited Major Disaster Declaration to help communities respond to Hurricane Helene. This designation will trigger the release of Federal funds essential to helping affected people and communities recover from the storm. Congressman Dunn was joined by the entire Florida Delegation in his letter to President Biden.
“After a storm as powerful and devastating as Helene, it is imperative to mobilize Federal resources quickly to respond to the fallout,” said Congressman Dunn. “Federal assistance is absolutely essential to ensure every community impacted by Helene has the resources they need to respond to the fallout. I’m urging President Biden to heed Governor DeSantis’ request without delay and issue a Major Disaster Declaration promptly.”
“Floridians are resilient and will continue to meet the challenges brought by Hurricane Helene head-on, but robust action by all levels of government is needed,” said Congressman Bean. “This historic weather event caused significant damage to our state, and I urge President Biden to approve Governor DeSantis’ request for a Major Disaster Declaration without delay, so we can deliver the critical federal support necessary for families, businesses and our communities to rebuild and recover.”
On Tuesday, September 24th, Congressman Dunn sent a letter to President Biden requesting a Pre-Landfall Emergency Declaration ahead of the storm, including a request for debris removal and emergency protective measures (Categories A and B). On Wednesday, President Biden approved the emergency declaration. However, this declaration fell short of authorizing the full Category A protective measures.
Read the full text of Congressman Dunn’s letter to President Biden here.
PM’s guidance in developing Uttar Pradesh to help it reach US$ 1 trillion economy: Shri Goyal Double engine government of Centre, Uttar Pradesh to propel India to a US$ 35 trillion economy by 2047: Union Minister Shri Piyush Goyal
Uttar Pradesh led by Shri Adityanath’s industrial policies has become a holistic model of development: Shri Goyal
Implementation of 4Ds: Decisive leadership, Demand, Demographic Dividend, Democracy made Uttar Pradesh investment friendly: Shri Goyal
Posted On: 28 SEP 2024 8:37PM by PIB Delhi
Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal during his valedictory speech at the 2nd edition of Uttar Pradesh International Trade Show (UPITS) said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s efforts in developing Uttar Pradesh will help the state reach US$ 1 trillion economy in the first phase.
Shri Goyal noted that the double engine Government of Uttar Pradesh led by Shri Yogi Adityanath under the guidance of the Prime Minister will help India become a US$ 5 trillion economy in the first phase, and will serve as a cornerstone for India to become a US$35 trillion economy and a ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047. Shri Goyal noted that the industrial and other proactive policies implemented by Shri Yogi Adityanath with the visionary goals of the Prime Minister has led the state to become a holistic model of development in the country.
Highlighting the journey of Make in India program, Shri Goyal said that PM Modi’s vision to initiate this journey on September 25, 2014 to make India a domination nation at the global stage in manufacturing will produce employment and entrepreneur opportunities for the youth.
Shri Goyal announced that a decision has been taken to celebrate the Anniversary of Make in India with the opening of the UP International Trade Show every year. The Government of India and the UP Government together have constantly prioritised making laws simpler and promote ease of doing business, he said. He added that the Centre and the UP government in a joint effort are building an industrial smart city in Greater Noida and a total of 20 industrial smart cities are being developed across the country.
Applauding the success of the trade show in its 2nd edition, Shri Goyal highlighted that over 2,500 exhibitors participated and over a lakh people have already attended in the four-day event from September 25-29, 2024. Shri Goyal further praised Shri Adityanath and the UP government for their efforts in skill development of the youth enabling provision of skilled and talented labour for the companies investing in the state. He said that because of this proactive initiative, migration from the state has significantly reduced with industries receiving a ready talent pool for efficient operations enabling them to expand their business and also making the state investor-friendly. UP government has been successful in not only a holistic development of the state but has also made progress in social infrastructure and human development, he said.
Shri Goyal explaining 4Ds – Decisive leadership, Demand, Demographic Dividend and a vibrant Democracy, said that huge investments have poured into Uttar Pradesh because of its implementation by the Centre and the state government.
Highlighting the successes of first 100 days of PM Modi’s third term, Shri Goyal said that the decisions taken to benefit farmers, to increase minimum wages, build 3 crore homes under the PMAY scheme, provision for health expenditure up to Rs 5 lakh for citizens above 70 years, to built 12 more industrial smart cities and to provide employment to 4 crore youth by spending Rs 2 lakh crore over a period of five years will strengthen the society and benefit every part of the country.
Speaking about the improvement from 142nd to 63rd in Ease of Doing Business rankings, Shri Goyal said that the continuous efforts led by the Government has led to rise of India’s rankings in Global Innovation Index to 39th spot out of 133 countries. He continued that the ranking is reflective of the rise in patent filing in the country as well. The Intellectual Property Rights regime has vastly improved over the last decade. From 6,000 patents being filed in 2014 to 1 lakh patents filed last year, shows country’s growth in technology, he said.
Emphasising the importance of maintaining quality in products, the Union Minister said that India is being recognised as a quality provider of goods and services. We have to ensure that the products we manufacture, the services we provide should be of high quality and buyers should receive this quality with Made in India products, he said.
The Union Minister said that PM gave the vision of Zero Defect, Zero Effect and to make products of high sustainable quality is the need of this country and the world. He expressed hope that the youth, innovators, and startups with high quality, zero-defect production and sustainable manufacturing practices will propel India to world recognition. Manufacturing and selling of Made in India products within the country and abroad will reduce imports, boost MSMEs, help One District One Product scheme to grow and lead India to be technologically developed nation.
TDSAT seminar calls for creating awareness about existence of Adjudicating Authority for cybercrimes in every state Chief Justice of Bombay High Court inaugurates the seminar
Posted On: 28 SEP 2024 5:28PM by PIB Mumbai
Panaji,28.09.2024
A seminar, organised by the Telecom Disputes Settlement & Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) on the theme “Mechanism for Resolution of Disputes in Telecom, Broadcasting & Cyber Sectors” in Goa today has called for vigorous outreach activities by all stakeholders to create awareness among the public about the availability of Adjudicating Officers (AO) for cybercrimes in every state, as the public is largely unaware of the provision to approach the AOs for compensation. Although the victims of cyber crimes file complaints with the cyber police, there is a lack of awareness about the existence of AOs in every state who can exercise jurisdiction over claims for damages up to Rs 5 cr, subject experts, who attended the seminar, said.
The seminar, organised at Hotel Double Tree by Hilton in Arpora, North Goa, today, 28th September, 2024, was inaugurated by Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya, Chief Justice, High Court of Bombay. In his inaugural address, Justice Upadhyaya highlighted the importance of tribunals and their origin in Indian legal system. He emphasized that the existence of subject experts along with judicial members in a tribunal strengthens the dispute resolution process in the given specialized sector.
Justice Navin Chawla, Judge, High Court of Delhi, who was a special guest at the seminar, shared his experience as a practicing lawyer with the TDSAT before his elevation as judge. He highlighted the evolution of TDSAT in the course of the time.
Justice D.N. Patel, Chairperson, TDSAT, in his Introductory address, talked about the jurisdiction of the TDSAT covering sectors like Telecom, Broadcasting, Cyber, Airport Tariff, Aadhaar, Personal DataProtection etc. and elaborated the kind of disputes that are raised before the TDSAT.
Justice M.S. Karnik, Judge, High Court of Bombay at Goa, was the Guest of Honour. The seminar was also attended by Justice Kamal R. Khata, Judge, High Court of Bombay, and Justice Valmiki Menzes, Judge, High Court of Bombay at Goa.
The Business Session was addressed by subject experts and lawyers comprising of Ms. Yashaswini B., IAS, Director, Department of Information Technology, Government of Goa, Adv Kunal Tandon, Adv Payal Kakra, Adv Vibhav Srivastava, Adv Tejveer Singh Bhatia, Adv Himanshu Dhawan, and Adv Jose Elmano Periera, President of Goa High Court Bar Association. Shri Meet Malhotra, Senior Advocate, moderated the session. The experts spoke various topics such as ‘IP TV – A Merger of Telecom and Broadcasting?’, ‘TDSAT’s Role in Ensuring Fair Practices and Quality Service in Broadcasting’, ‘Role of Regulations in Orderly Growth of Broadcasting and Cable Industry’, ‘Dispute Resolution under Cyber Law’, etc.
Adv Kunal Tandon said that more awareness needs to be created among the public about the availability of the forum of Adjudicating Officers across all states for civil remedies to the victims of cyber offences. Adv Meet Malhotra, the moderator, suggested convening a conference of all AOs under the IT Act by the TDSAT to sensitize them and others regarding the availability of remedies to the victims of cyber offences.
Justice D.N. Patel, Chairperson, TDSAT, suggested that a mechanism needs to be drawn where registration of any FIR by cyber police station against any cyber offence must be reported to the IT Secretary of the State who also happens to be the Adjudicating Officer under IT Act for consideration of civil remedy to the cyber offence complainant.
Telecom Lawyers’ Association President Adv Manjul Bajpai, members of the local judiciary, office bearers of the TDSAT, lawyers and representatives of the State government, were also present at the seminar.
As part of the ongoing Swachhata Hi Seva (SHS) 2024 campaign, Union Minister for Jal Shakti, Shri C.R. Paatil visited the Rajnandgaon district of Chhattisgarh today. His visit was aimed at observing the significant progress and implementation of various sanitation and water conservation initiatives under the Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen (SBM-G), reinforcing the importance of sustaining cleanliness efforts in rural India.
The ongoing Swachhata Hi Seva (SHS) 2024 campaign, with its theme of ‘Swabhaav Swachhata, Sanskaar Swachhata’, is being held from 17th September to 1st October. The campaign will be culminating with Gandhi Jayanti on 2nd October, which is also the 10th anniversary of the Swachh Bharat Mission. The SHS campaign focuses on behavioral change and community participation to maintain cleanliness and sanitation across India.
In his opening address, the Shri Paatil highlighted, “Under the inspiring leadership of Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, we are entering a new chapter in the Swachhata journey. As we approach 2nd October, a day marking 10 years of the Swachh Bharat Mission, we should all do our bit by participating in Shramdaan in our villages and towns. Our collective efforts over the past decade have transformed the sanitation landscape of India. Chhattisgarh, like the rest of the country, has played a pivotal role in this transformation, and today I urge everyone to continue their dedication as we move forward with renewed commitment and energy.”
Key SHS 2024 Activities in Chhattisgarh:
5,631 Cleanliness Target Units (CTUs) planned, with 2,071 transformed CTUs involving 1.3 lakh volunteers.
29,951 Swachhata Mein Bhagidari events, with over 10.48 lakh participants, fostering community ownership of local sanitation systems.
Over 32,000 sanitation workers benefited from health camps, and 26,000 sanitation workers were provided with PPE kits through 2,332 SafaiMitra Suraksha Shivirs.
Chhattisgarh’s Sanitation Progress:
67% villages declared ODF Plus Model.
73% villages have arrangements for Solid Waste Management.
94% villages have Liquid Waste Management systems in place.
Chhattisgarh has achieved ODF Plus Model status for 13,033 villages, with a goal to declare all villages ODF Plus by December 2024.
During the visit, Shri Paatil witnessed firsthand the innovative waste-to-art installations created by the local community, the transformative impact of Cleanliness Target Units (CTUs), and the successful ‘Ek Ped Maa ke Naam’ tree plantation initiative. The ‘Mission Jal Raksha’ programme, aimed at water conservation, was highlighted with the Minister inspecting the percolation tank site in Barga village, showcasing local efforts to preserve and replenish water resources.
A notable highlight was the declaration of Rajnandgaon and Dongargaon blocks as ODF Plus Model blocks, underscoring the district’s commitment to Sampoorna Swachhata and waste management.
The Union Minister also inaugurated the Faecal Sludge Treatment Plant (FSTP) in Baghara, which was a significant step towards sustainable waste management. He also visited the Plastic Waste Management Unit (PWMU) in Amlidih village, where he interacted with Swachhata Didis, sanitation workers leading local cleanliness efforts.
This visit by Union Minister demonstrates the government’s ongoing resolve to make the vision of a Sampoorna Swachh Bharat a permanent reality. The Swachhata Hi Seva 2024 campaign continues to unite communities in their mission towards a cleaner and more sustainable India.
A national-level fair dedicated to Divyangjan, the 20th Divya Kala Mela, has been inaugurated today at Pune. It is being organized by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India. The event was graced by the Hon’ble Governor of Maharashtra, Shri C.P. Radhakrishnan, Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Dr. Virendra Kumar, and MP Shri Rang Appa Barne.
In this fair, the National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation (NHFDC), under its various schemes, has sanctioned loans worth ₹2 crore to Divyangjan, offering them the opportunity to expand their businesses. Additionally, motorized tricycles were distributed to eligible participants, furthering the government’s commitment to improving mobility for Divyangjan.
Governor Shri C.P. Radhakrishnan praised the talent and resilience of Divyangjan, stating, “For the inclusive development of our society, it is essential that we celebrate and support these gifted Divyang entrepreneurs and artists. Their contributions help build a stronger, more inclusive India.” The Governor also highlighted the financial empowerment schemes offered by NHFDC, which provide loans ranging from ₹50,000 to ₹50 lakh at an interest rate of 4% to 9% annually for income-generating activities. These loans are facilitated through NHFDC’s state channelizing agencies, Punjab National Bank, and regional rural banks across India.
During his address, Union Minister Dr. Virendra Kumar emphasized the significance of the Divya Kala Mela as a platform for marketing Divyangjan products, underscoring how these fairs contribute to the social and economic empowerment of Divyangjan. “These fairs offer a unique opportunity for Divyangjan to exhibit their skills, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit. To date, around 1,450 participants have taken part in Divya Kala Melas across the country, collectively generating over ₹11.5 crore in revenue. Loans exceeding ₹10 crore have been sanctioned to foster the growth of Divyang businesses,” the Minister stated.
The Minister further shared that employment fairs are now being held alongside the Divya Kala Mela, offering greater opportunities for Divyangjan. Of the 1,400 participants screened so far, 370 have been shortlisted, and more than 100 have already received job offers. “In the near future, Divyangjan will find employment in reputable organizations and companies, further advancing their integration into the workforce,” he added.
Following the successful organization of 19 such Melas across the country, the event aims to empower Divyangjan by providing them with a platform to showcase their talents and entrepreneurial skills. These national fairs, known as Divya Kala Mela, are part of a larger plan to organize similar events in other major cities in the coming months. Each fair prioritizes local Divyangjan, with Maharashtra’s own Divyang artisans and entrepreneurs being highlighted in this Pune edition.
The Divya Kala Mela is a testament to the government’s effort to economically empower Divyangjan, transforming them into self-reliant entrepreneurs and skilled craftsmen. Allotted stalls are provided free of cost to ensure that Divyangjan can present their work on prestigious platforms in metropolitan areas. More than 100 Divyang artisans, entrepreneurs, and artists from 18 states and union territories are showcasing their products, crafts, and talents at this year’s event.
Visitors to the fair can not only purchase handmade goods from Divyang entrepreneurs but also indulge in an array of culinary delights from across India. Each evening, from 6 to 9 PM, vibrant cultural performances by Divyang artists are being held, featuring talent from both across India and local Pune artists. The Divya Kala Mela will run until 6th October 2024. The fair is open to all with free entry. On the closing day, a special performance, Divya Kalashakti, will be presented by Divyang artists from across the country, showcasing their remarkable talents.
The Mela features a total of 60 stalls, along with cultural performances from Divyang artists. These national-level fairs are creating pathways for the global recognition of the skills and capabilities of Divyangjan. An employment fair has also been organized as part of the event, further enhancing opportunities for Divyangjan. Visually impaired artist Rajiv Ranjan hosted the event as anchor, while Shri Naveen Shah, CMD of NHFDC, delivered the vote of thanks.
Ministry of Panchayati Raj to Participate in Special Campaign 4.0 with Commitment to Efficiency and Cleanliness Special Campaign primarily focuses upon encouraging clean, efficient, proactive and pro-environment workplace
Ministry of Panchayati Raj is deploying official teams to States and Union Territories to ensure the swift resolution of public grievances, reaffirming its commitment to timely and effective grievance redressal
Posted On: 28 SEP 2024 7:21PM by PIB Delhi
Ministry of Panchayati Raj, encouraged by the resounding success and transformative outcomes of the previous editions of Special Campaign, is all set to act as an active partner during Implementation Phase (2–31 October, 2024) of Special Campaign 4.0 steered by Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Government of India. The Special Campaign conducted in Ministry of Panchayati Raj primarily focuses upon encouraging clean and pro-environment workplaces for its officials and staff–members and welcoming reception areas for visitors.
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj’s adoption of perpetual best practices under the Special Campaign has resulted in 100% file work execution through e-Office, efficient management and productive use of office spaces, implementation of environmentally friendly practices, maintaining a clean and hygienic workplace, ensuring 100% electronic scrap disposal and achieving zero pendency of public grievances.
For the fourth edition of the Special Campaign, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj has diligently and promptly completed all preparations on the suggested points within the stipulated timeframe. In a Senior Officers’ Meeting held on 19th September 2024, chaired by Shri Vivek Bharadwaj, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, an in-depth discussion took place regarding the smooth execution and successful implementation of the Special Campaign 4.0 to be organized from 2ndOctober, 2024 to 31stOctober, 2024.
Emphasizing the importance of institutionalizing Swachhata and minimizing pendency in Government offices, Secretary Shri Vivek Bharadwaj advised all the Divisions to work in a concerted and collaborative manner for the best results as per the parameters identified by DARPG for Special Campaign 4.0, which is a campaign having an overarching goal to promote Good Governance through Swachhata.
Taking significant steps toward addressing public grievances, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj has decided to send teams of officials to various States/ UTs to ensure swift resolution of complaints, given the gravity of the issues raised. The objective is clear: in line with the vision of the Hon’ble Prime Minister, public grievances must be addressed within a set timeframe, focusing on the merit of the petition and ensuring the satisfaction of the applicant. Beginning in September, Ministry officials have been dispatched to the States, and out of 833 public grievances received till date during the month of September, 644 were resolved.
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj operates 100% on the eOffice platform, and special provisions have been made for the timely weeding out and effective disposal of physical papers and materials. The Special Campaign provides an excellent opportunity to accelerate this process with dedicated focus. Moreover, productivity among officers and employees is being enhanced by increasing greenery within the Ministry’s office premises. Saplings have been abundantly planted in flower pots to beautify all corridors and reception areas, a practice that will continue into the future.
During the Preparatory Phase of Special Campaign 4.0, sincere efforts have been made to raise awareness, mobilize officials and ensure their active participation in making Special Campaign 4.0 a grand success by the way of making Swachhata “everyone’s business” and “a way of life”. State-specific engagement of Nodal Officers and dedicated Public Grievances Redressal Cell helped in disposal of public grievances within a month’s time and thus there was no pendency.
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj has focused on various activities and aspects of Special Campaign 4.0, including conducting special cleanliness drives and mobilizing the government functionaries to streamlining processes and procedures to strengthen grievance redressal mechanism to ensure fast disposal of grievances at all levels. Special Campaign 4.0 in the Ministry of Panchayati Raj will focus on creating healthier workspaces, keeping workplace tools in working order, increasing efficiency / improving productivity i.e. speed and quality of work and boosting the morale of the employees / staff-members (regular, contractual and outsourced) through a clean, tidy and organized work environment. Clean Desk / Clean Office / Clean Corridor / Clean Workstation and other best practices will be promoted through social media on regular basis.
Necessary action will be taken to give feel-good environment by placing flower pots, sapling pots etc. in both the office premises of Jeevan Bharati Building and Jeevan Prakash Building. Special emphasis will be given on behavioural / attitudinal changes towards cleanliness and sanitation for tackling workplace hygiene issues considerately along with disposal of pending matters such as references from Members of Parliament, Parliamentary Assurances, References received from State Governments, Inter-Ministerial Consultation, Public Representations/ Grievances, better record management, review and weeding out papers on regular basis as we move towards a more sustainable future for everyone.
A Mini Workshop on Record Management, followed by a meeting with Record Officers, was held on 6th September 2024 under the Chairmanship of the Economic Adviser, Ministry of Panchayati Raj Dr. Bijaya Kumar Behera to discuss preparations for the upcoming Special Campaign 4.0, scheduled from 2nd October to 31st October 2024. During the workshop, Dr. Behera emphasized the importance of timely cooperation for the success of Special Campaign 4.0, and shared insights and strategies for capacity building of Record Officers on record keeping and helping them for categorization of files for preservation, distribution and retention etc. as per Record Retention Schedule. Since the Ministry of Panchayati Raj operates entirely on an e-platform with very few physical files, the focus was placed on reviewing and weeding out e-files in coordination with NIC. Section officers were instructed to review the Record Retention Schedules, especially for critical documents, and delete outdated e-files that affect efficiency of the e-office. Targets were set for the review and action on files across various Divisions/ Sections, totalling 1525 files to be addressed during the Special Campaign 4.0.
Background:
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj is an active participant in the Special Campaign 4.0, scheduled from 2nd October to 31st October 2024. This campaign aims to accelerate the disposal of pending matters and institutionalize Swachhata (cleanliness) across all offices. Aligned with the Government of India’s efforts to enhance governance and administrative efficiency, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj is focused on key activities to ensure the successful implementation of the campaign, building on the accomplishments of previous initiatives and the Preparatory Phase.
During the Preparatory Phase, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj identified several categories of pending tasks, including electronic file reviews, public grievance cases, public grievance appeals, and specific sites for cleanliness activities. The Ministry remains dedicated to improving transparency, promoting Swachhata, and enhancing administrative efficiency through the effective execution of Special Campaign 4.0.
The Department of Fisheries, under the visionary leadership of Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh along with Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Shri George Kurian, organized a special Plantation Drive titled “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” at the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary, Tughlakabad today as part of the Swachhata Hi Seva 2024 campaign. This initiative is in alignment with the Government’s broader mission to promote environmental sustainability and celebrate the sacred bond between humans and nature.
The drive, which witnessed enthusiastic participation from school children of Kendriya Vidyalaya, Pushp Vihar, New Delhi, aimed to raise awareness about the importance of trees and sustainable environmental practices. Additionally, it honored the pivotal role of motherhood by dedicating each sapling to a mother, thereby symbolizing care and nurturing. The plantation activity not only focused on increasing the green cover in the region but also reinforced the Department’s commitment to creating a healthier, cleaner, and greener India.
In his keynote address, Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh emphasized the significance of environmental conservation and the vital role that communities play in fostering a cleaner and greener nation. He remarked, “Planting a tree today is planting hope for a better tomorrow. We dedicate this initiative to all mothers, who nurture and care for life. Our government is resolute in taking steps that ensure ecological balance and contribute to the health of our planet.”
The Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary, known for its rich diversity of flora and fauna, was selected as the venue for its symbolic importance as a green lung of the national capital. By planting indigenous trees, the initiative also contributes to enriching the biodiversity of this ecologically significant zone.
Shri Abhilaksh Likhi, Secretary, Department of Fisheries, Smt. Neetu Kumari Prasad, Joint Secretary, Shri Sagar Mehra, Joint Secretary, along with senior officers, officials of the Department of Fisheries, NCDC and local residents, actively participated in the plantation drive. This collaborative effort highlighted the importance of environmental sustainability.
This plantation drive is part of the ongoing Swachhata Hi Seva Campaign, a nationwide movement to promote cleanliness, hygiene, and sustainable living practices. The participation of the Department of Fisheries in this campaign underlines its commitment to fostering both aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity while ensuring the preservation of natural resources.
As the campaign progresses, the Department plans to organize similar initiatives across the country to educate and engage citizens in the conservation of natural ecosystems.
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) is working on about 100 rules and laws of various departments of government to bring Jan Vishwas 2.0 bill to achieve a greater ease of doing business environment in the country. The work is being done as the priority area under the first 100-day thrust of the present government. To support the “Make in India” initiative, the Government of India has enacted the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023. With the primary objective of decriminalising minor offences across 42 Central Acts, the Act eliminates 183 criminal provisions across 19 Ministries/Departments.
The Joint Parliamentary Committee, which reviewed the Jan Vishwas Bill, has recommended extending the exercise to further Acts, ensuring the continuous modernization of India’s regulatory framework.The Jan Vishwas Act introduces civil penalties and administrative actions for minor technical and procedural lapses, reducing the fear of criminal penalties and enhancing the ease of doing business and living in the country.
A key objective of the Jan Vishwas Act is to remove outdated provisions that no longer serve the evolving technological and business environment. This comprehensive reform not only saves time and costs for both the government and the judiciary but also fosters a more conducive environment for businesses and entrepreneurs by reducing unnecessary legal hurdles.
The Act, passed by the Lok Sabha on July 27, 2023, and the Rajya Sabha on August 2, 2023, with presidential assent on August 11, 2023, aims to promote trust in businesses and citizens, streamline legal processes, and ease the burden on the judiciary. The decriminalisation effort ensures that penalties are proportionate to the severity of offences while maintaining stringent punishments for serious violations. This is a major step towards aligning India’s regulatory framework with global business standards, promoting investor confidence, and facilitating smoother business operations.
