Sunday, September 18, 2022

Soriful panda kalu island of Puerto Rico loses power mojibur rahaman covid 2022 update

 Chinese shares were mixed on Monday as the central bank injected liquidity and cut its 14-day reverse repo rate, while U.S. President Joe Biden's latest comments on Taiwan spooked investors.

Hong Kong stocks declined, with the tech sector falling the most, following a big sell-off in U.S. markets on Friday as investors weighed the risk of another big interest rate increase from the Federal Reserve.

** China's blue-chip CSI 300 Index rose 0.14%, while the Shanghai Composite Index was down 0.16%.

** Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index fell 0.96% and the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index dropped 1.35%.

A Landmark Going-Private Transaction Has Occurred For This Premier Net-Lease Trust

STORE Capital announced in a press release on Thursday that it has entered into a definitive agreement with institutional investor GIC, which will acquire the real estate investment trust in a transaction valued at $14 billion in collaboration with Oak Street. The transaction will be all-cash, which means that investors will receive the full deal value of $32.25 per share in cash.

The transaction price is a 20% premium to the stock price of STORE Capital on September 14, 2022, and an 18% premium to the 90-day volume weighted average stock price.

GIC and Oak Street will take STORE Capital private, which means the trust will no longer be available for trading on a public exchange. Because of the transaction's going-private nature, I advise investors to sell the deal and reinvest the proceeds in another equally impressive real estate investment trust.

** Other Asian markets were subdued on Monday as investors braced for a busy week with 13 central bank meetings that are certain to see borrowing costs rise across the globe and some risk of a 100-basis-point hike in the United States.

** Joe Biden said on Sunday in CBS News's 60 Minutes that U.S. forces would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion.

** China's central bank lowered the borrowing cost of 14-day reverse repos by 10 basis points on Monday and injected 2 billion yuan ($286.54 million) through 7-day reverse repos and another 10 billion yuan through the 14-day tenor.

Choosing the right time to retire is a daunting task, especially as it often depends on factors outside our control, such as our health, inflation or even the direction of stock markets. For Matthew Jones, who spoke using a pseudonym, moving his company pension into a Sipp just weeks before the Covid market crash in March 2020 was a painful experience.

“Everything went through the floor,” he said. “It was a massive dent to my confidence.”

Mr Jones, who is 61 and lives in Somerset with his wife and two adult children, decided that he would wait for some signs of a recovery before he retired. “I ended up retiring quite soon after that, in March 2021. One of the main drivers was that my father has dementia and I wanted to spend some quality time with him while he is still fit to do so, like playing golf together.”

The value of Mr Jones’s pensions, which are spread across two Sipp accounts, one managed by Scottish Widows and one with M&G, currently stands at £1.2m. Almost £200,000 of it is in cash. He also has around £40,000 spread across a cash savings account and Premium Bonds.

“I have been relying on this cash as our income,” he said. “I’m conscious that I have exceeded the lifetime allowance on my pension, so I am leaving it alone in the probably vain hope that the Government will increase the limit.”

Mr Jones is currently withdrawing between £4,000 and £5,000 from his cash savings each month. “I'd like to maintain this level of income,” he said. “We do not live a lavish lifestyle. We’d like a few holidays here and there, but nothing extravagant.

“My main question is whether my pension is enough to support myself and my wife for the rest of our lives. If not I would be open to going back to work.” Mr Jones owns his home, which he estimates to be worth £625,000, and he has no debts. He and his wife also have more than £140,000 invested in various accounts.

 
Mr Jones lives in Somerset with his wife Carole CREDIT: Jay Williams

Daniel Hough, Financial planner at Brewin Dolphin

We think Mr Jones has sufficient funds for retirement. He already has a large pension and, instead of returning to work, he should focus on streamlining and making the best use of his existing assets.

On paper he has breached the lifetime allowance. But because he has not taken any money from his pension, it hasn’t yet been “crystallised”. The lifetime allowance of £1,073,100 is frozen until at least April 2026.

Mr Jones would like a retirement income of around £4,000 a month – or £48,000 a year after tax. I would suggest taking £12,570 a year as income from the pension, which would fall under the tax-free personal allowance. This can be supplemented by using the 25pc tax-free cash from his pension, to the tune of £35,430 a year, which he could do for at least the first eight years.

When Mr Jones begins to receive his state pension, in around five years’ time, we can reduce the pressure on his investments. A full state pension from 35 qualifying years of National Insurance contributions will be around £10,000 a year. We can then swap out around £10,000 of cash annually being taken from the tax-free lump sum and, once this cash is used up, he can take money out as taxable income from his pension.

Mr Jones has two Sipps: the M&G one has around £900,000 of assets, more than a third of which is in a bond fund, which is lower risk but has still dropped in value, while the majority of the money in the Scottish Widows Sipp is in cash. Having two Sipps involves unnecessary duplication, so it would make sense to consolidate them with one provider.

** China's August economic data overall is slightly better than expected, although the real estate market is weak, CICC said in a note, adding that the valuation of A-shares is relatively low and the market liquidity is abundant, so the medium-term outlook should not be too pessimistic.

** The country's tourism stocks, up 2%, and Food & Beverage stocks, up 1.4%, led gains ahead of a 7-day national holiday starting from Oct. 1.

** In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng tech index dipped 2.04%.

** Alibaba Group tumbled 3.4% and Meituan declined 1.1%. (Reporting by Summer Zhen; Editing by Devika Syamnath)

The entire island of Puerto Rico lost power just before Hurricane Fiona made landfall on Sunday afternoon, according to officials.

More than 1.5 million customers are without electricity as the Category 1 storm, with sustained winds at 85 mph and torrential rain, bear down on the island, Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi announced on Facebook Sunday afternoon.

Fiona strengthened to a hurricane from a tropical storm Sunday morning. Emergency response teams for the utility companies will deploy once the conditions allow, Pierluisi said. It will likely day takes to restore the power, utility company LUMA Energy said in a statement.

PHOTO: Tide churns and trees sway in the wind as residents hunker down during Tropical Storm Fiona in Recio, Patillas, Puerto Rico, Sept. 18, 2022.
Tide churns and trees sway in the wind as residents hunker down during Tropical Storm Fiona in Recio, Patillas, Puerto Rico, Sept. 18, 2022.
Thaiss Edam Millan

The National Hurricane Center said Fiona made landfall in southwestern Puerto Rico at 3:20 p.m. ET. Widespread torrential rain has been hitting much of the island and is expected to continue for several hours. Flash flood effects are in place across the eastern half of the island, and the worst of the wind continues to slam the western half of the island.

In its 11 p.m. ET update, the NHC said heavy rainfall and "catastrophic" flooding continue across much of the country.

 

A bridge near Utuado, a town in the central mountainous region of the island, has collapsed, cutting off the communities of Salto Arriba and Guaonico, local newspaper El Vocero de Puerto Rico reported.

The portion of the bridge that collapsed is on Highway 123, a branch of Highway 10, which serves as a link between both roads and is one of the accesses to the University of Puerto Rico at Utuado campus, according to El Vocero.

The bridge, installed by the National Guard following Hurricane Maria, cost about $3 million to construct, the newspaper reported.

Pierluisi believes Puerto Rico is prepared as it can be, with enough resources and manpower in place to respond, he told ABC News earlier in the day -- adding that the island learned its lessons from the devastating effects of Hurricane Maria in September 2017.

"We're much in a much better position than we were five years ago," he said.

PHOTO: Nelson Cirino inspects his bedroom after the winds of hurricane Fiona tore the roof off his house in Loiza, Puerto Rico, Sept. 18, 2022.
Nelson Cirino inspects his bedroom after the winds of hurricane Fiona tore the roof off his house in Loiza, Puerto Rico, Sept. 18, 2022.
Alejandro Granadillo/AP

Hurricane warnings remain in place for Puerto Rico and the easternmost points of the Dominican Republic, as well as Turks and Caicos, throughout Sunday. Tremendous rainfall is forecast, with much of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic expected to receive up to 10 inches. Some localized regions in Puerto Rico could get up to 20 inches.

While still a tropical storm, the system battered the Caribbean islands. One person died in the French territory of Guadeloupe, according to The Associated Press. More than 20 others were rescued amid heavy wind and rain according to the AP.

The island's emergency management office in Puerto Rico even had a blackout during its Saturday morning press conference. Pierluisi reiterated during that press briefing Saturday evening that the fear is that heavy rains will produce mudslides.

Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed that the country will get a bank holiday to mourn the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Queen Elizabeth II died on Thursday (8 September) at the age of 96 in Balmoral Castle, after 70 years on the throne.

The late monarch will be laid to rest on Monday 19 September, in Westminster Abbey, London.

Her coffin was flown to London from Edinburgh on Tuesday (13 September) and will be carried in a ceremonial procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall on Wednesday (14 September) to begin her lying in state.

Here’s everything you need to know about Australia’s bank holiday to mourn the Queen.

A bus carrying infected people to a Covid-19 quarantine facility in China has crashed, killing 27 of those on board.

The coach overturned on a motorway in the south-western province of Guizhou. Another 20 people were injured.

Only two people have died from Covid in Guizhou province since the pandemic struck almost three years ago.

The accident sparked anger online from those critical of Beijing's "zero-Covid" policy.

The strict policy involves mass testing and tracking. Those who test positive and their close contacts have to isolate at home or in a quarantine facility.

Just a handful of cases can spark a city-wide lockdown.

 

There is no word on the cause of the crash which occurred early on Sunday morning.

According to Chinese regulations, passenger buses are not allowed to drive on the highway between the hours of 02:00 and 05:00. However, the accident occurred at 02:40 local time Monday (18:40 GMT Sunday) after the bus departed shortly after midnight, indicating the bus had violated regulation.

A woman who claimed she was the daughter of one of the victims took to social media, where she wrote a note saying she could "not accept" her mother's death.

"My mom stayed at home for half a month. She didn't go anywhere apart from going out for PCR tests... but she suddenly got taken to quarantine and died."

Online, some described their own unpleasant experiences of being bussed to quarantine facilities.

One said that dozens of passengers were squeezed into one bus for 12 hours at a stretch without being allowed to eat, go to the bathroom, open the windows or turn on the air-conditioning until their arrival at the quarantine hotel.

Another comment asked, "When will all of this stop?"

While the rest of the world is trying to live with Covid, China is the only major economy still prioritising the fight against the virus above almost everything else.

Guizhou is currently experiencing a spike in infections. The province recorded 712 new cases on Saturday - about 70% of the total for China.

The incident comes in the run-up to the Communist Party's five-yearly congress in October, with discussion around the country's Covid policy expected to be on the agenda.

In the capital Beijing, more than 21 million residents are required to queue for PCR tests every three days to access public buildings and even corner shops.

When is Australia’s bank holiday to mourn the Queen?

Australians will be given a bank holiday on Thursday 22 September, after the Queen’s funeral.

It will officially be called the National Day of Mourning for Her Majesty the Queen.

Why is Australia getting a bank holiday to mourn Queen Elizabeth II?

Until her death, the Queen was Australia’s head of state. The new head of state is King Charles III.

The surprise public holiday was first announced by Albanese on Sunday (11 September).

He said at the time: “Over the coming weeks, Australia will continue to commemorate our late Queen.

“I encourage all Australians, wherever you may be, to take time to pause and reflect on Her Majesty’s extraordinary life of service.”

Why is Australia’s bank holiday taking place after the Queen’s funeral?

According to Australian broadcaster Nine News, the bank holiday is timed for when Albanese and governor-general David Hurley return to Australia from the UK, after attending the Queen’s funeral.

Albanese and Hurley will travel to London on Thursday 15 September and return on Wednesday 21 September.

How have Australians reacted to the news?

Albanese has faced a backlash from retail and business groups for announcing the bank holiday at such short notice, with many worried about staffing costs and losing trade on the day.

But the prime minister defended the decision as “appropriate” and said: “This is the first time we have had a change of a head of state.

“Australia needs to, it wants to mourn the contribution of Queen Elizabeth II. A one-off public holiday is an appropriate response.”

Will Australia have the bank holiday again next year?

No, the bank holiday to mourn the Queen is a one-off event and will not reoccur after this year.

What other countries have declared a bank holiday to mourn the Queen?

A handful of other countries where the Queen was head of state have also announced public holidays to mourn her death.

On Tuesday (13 September), New Zealand’s prime minister Jacinda Ardern announced that the country will get a one-off public holiday on Monday (26 September), called “Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Day”.

She said a state memorial service for the late monarch will be held in the Wellington Cathedral of St Paul, in the city of Wellington, on the same day.

Canada has also announced a national day of mourning that will take place on Monday (19 September), which will be a bank holiday.

Prime minister Justin Trudeau said that while the Canadian government is still working out “a few details” with provinces and territories, “declaring an opportunity for Canadians to mourn on Monday is going to be important”.

Some Caribbean nations, such as Jamaica, announced a period of mourning to mark the death of the Queen. However, only the Cayman Islands has declared that Monday (19 September), the day of Her Majesty’s funeral, will be a public holiday.

According to local reports, the government of the Turks and Caicos Islands will decide whether a bank holiday will be given to residents in the coming days. Antigua is also said to be considering a public holiday to mark the Queen’s passing.

Biden, who rarely does interviews, spoke to CBS’ “60 Minutes” in a segment that aired Sunday. He said that when he heard about classified documents taken from the White House, he wondered how “anyone could be that irresponsible.”

Biden added: “And I thought, what data was in there that may compromise sources and methods?”

The president said he did not get a heads-up before the Trump estate was searched, and he has not asked for any specifics “because I don’t want to get myself in the middle of whether or not the Justice Department should move or not move on certain actions they could take.”

The FBI says it took about 11,000 documents, including roughly 100 with classification markings found in a storage room and an office, while serving a court-authorized search warrant at the home on Aug. 8. Weeks after the search, Trump lawyers asked a judge to appoint a special master to conduct an independent review of the records.

 

The warrant says federal agents were investigating potential violations of three different federal laws, including one that governs gathering, transmitting or losing defense information under the Espionage Act.

Biden told “60 Minutes” that when he heard about classified documents being taken from the White House, he wondered how “anyone could be that irresponsible."

"And I thought what data was in there that may compromise sources and methods?”

In the wide-ranging interview, the president wouldn’t commit to running for reelection in 2024, though he’s said in the past that he planned to.

“My intention, as I said to begin with, is that I would run again," he said. "But it’s just an intention. But is it a firm decision that I run again? That remains to be seen.”

 

Biden was asked about growing concerns that Russia's efforts to seize Ukraine could inspire China's leader Xi Jinping to attack Taiwan. The island has been recognized by the U.S. as part of China but has its own democratic government. Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin met last week.

Biden again said the U.S. forces would respond “if in fact there was an unprecedented attack.”

White House officials later said the official U.S. policy had not changed, and would not say whether American forces would be called to defend Taiwan. Biden has made the claim before, but the statements come at an increasingly tense time for U.S.-China relations, particularly after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's trip there last month.

Beijing sees official American contact with Taiwan as encouragement to make the island’s decades-old de facto independence permanent, a step Biden and other U.S. leaders say they don’t support.

The president said the U.S. commitment to Ukraine was “ironclad” and would remain so “as long as it takes.” Ukrainian troops are engaged in a counteroffensive that has reclaimed towns and cities from Russian troops. But the toll the war has taken is vast, and fresh atrocities are being revealed, including torture chambers and mass graves. Since January 2021, the U.S. has given more than $13.5 billion in security assistance to Ukraine.

 

In the same hour, “60 Minutes” also aired an interview with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who will be speaking to the U.N. General Assembly in New York this coming week. Raisi echoed standard Iranian lines about the status of currently stalled nuclear talks with world powers. He said the United States is not trustworthy and demanded guarantees that the U.S. would not withdraw from a deal as President Donald Trump did in 2018.

Raisi said he had no plans to meet with Biden on the sidelines of the U.N. event as it would serve no purpose, although he reiterated that Iran is willing to discuss prisoner exchanges with the United States. He also defended his country’s anti-Israel stance and said Tehran was committed to pursuing “justice” for the Trump administration’s assassination of a top Iranian military commander.

Friday, September 16, 2022

Mahmudullah vai covid update Rajshahi Ken Burns compares sending migrants to 2022 Mofij

 Tudor Chirila Jr., 77, was being held Thursday in the Washoe County Jail without bail on a charge of being a fugitive from another state.

In a criminal complaint accusing Chirila of second-degree murder, Honolulu police said DNA evidence linked him to the fatal stabbing of 19-year-old Nancy Anderson.

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser first reported that Chirila was arrested Wednesday - five decades after police say he stabbed the teen more than 60 times and left her body in her Waikiki apartment on January 7, 1972.

Anderson had moved to Hawaii in October 1971 and was working at a McDonald's restaurant after graduating from high school the year before in Bay City, Michigan, the newspaper said.

Tudor Chirila Jr., 77, was being held Thursday in the Washoe County Jail without bail on a charge of being a fugitive from another state

GENEVA, Sept 16 (Reuters) - Faced with a record $32 billion shortfall in humanitarian aid funding, the United Nations is dipping deep into its emergency fund to support critical programmes in 11 countries including Myanmar and Mali.

FedEx said Thursday it is shuttering storefronts and corporate offices while putting off new hires in a belt-tightening drive brought on by drop-off in its global package delivery business.

The company based in Memphis, Tennessee, warned it will likely miss Wall Street's profit target for its fiscal first quarter that ended Aug. 31. And it said it expects business conditions to further weaken in the current quarter amid weaker global volume.

Its stock fell more than 20% in after-hours trading following the announcement.

"Global volumes declined as macroeconomic trends significantly worsened later in the quarter, both internationally and in the U.S.," FedEx CEO Raj Subramaniam said in a statement. "We are swiftly addressing these headwinds, but given the speed at which conditions shifted, first-quarter results are below our expectations."

The company's FedEx Express business was particularly hurt by challenges in Europe and weaker economic trends in Asia, which led to a roughly $500 million revenue shortfall for the segment. FedEx Ground revenue, meanwhile, came in about $300 million below the company's forecasts.

High operating expenses were also a drag on the company's results, FedEx said. In response, it said it will cut costs by closing over 90 FedEx Office locations and five corporate offices, deferring new hires and operating fewer flights.

The company scrapped its forecast for its earnings in its current fiscal year that it had issued less than three months ago. For the three months ended Aug. 31, FedEx now projects adjusted earnings per share of $3.44 and $23.2 billion in revenue. That's below analysts' consensus forecast of $5.14 adjusted earnings per share and $23.6 billion in revenue, according to FactSet.

Stocks continue swoon

News of FedEx's poor results appeared to spook investors, denting overseas markets and sending U.S. stock futures sharply lower. The S&P 500 index was down nearly 1% ahead of the start of trade on Friday. Dow and Nasdaq futures were down 0.8% and 1% respectively.

LONDON, Sept 16 (Reuters) - From an all-black opening look to models holding a picture of Queen Elizabeth, London Fashion Week began with tributes to the late monarch as fashionistas paid their respects during the period of national mourning.

Organisers announced last week that London Fashion Week would go ahead as a "business-to-business event" while observing royal protocol and holding tributes for the 96-year-old queen who died on Sept. 8.

Parties have been postponed and Monday's shows, the day of the queen's state funeral, have been rescheduled.

While bigger brands such as Burberry and Raf Simons, among the most-anticipated highlights this season, pulled out of the Sept 16-20 event, for smaller labels doing so is tricker.

"So the shows and presentations, which is the business to business part, where the designers show their collections to international media, retailers, stylists... (is) part of a global fashion calendar. It can't be moved," Caroline Rush, chief executive of the British Fashion Council, told Reuters.

"London is a platform for incredible creative businesses, many independent businesses and they've already committed spend. So we need to make sure that we're supporting them to be able to continue."

Among the tributes planned is a book of condolences from the fashion industry to be shared with the royal household and fashionistas will join in a national moment of reflection - a one minute silence - on Sunday evening at 8pm (1900 GMT) ahead of the Christopher Kane show.

On Thursday evening, designer Daniel W. Fletcher held a minute's silence before sending out his first model in a black suit and a black armband.

"I thought as we are opening the event it was important to mark that moment," Fletcher told London newspaper the Evening Standard.

Two reality TV series stars that CheezIts describes as having similar characteristics to the snack — "often absurd, sometimes salty, always satisfying" — will grace the front of Cheez-It Reality TV Collector’s "Cheddition" boxes available starting today on CheezItHQ.com.

The boxes will feature Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi of "Jersey Shore" fame and RuPaul of "RuPaul's Drag Race."

A limited quantity will be made available for pre-sale today at 8 a.m. An additional limited number of boxes will be released at noon each day from Monday, Sept. 19 through Friday, Sept. 23.

“As a brand with ‘real’ at the core of its product, it was important for Cheez-It to highlight stars who truly embody what it means to be real," said Erin Storm, senior marketing director of Cheez-It, a Kellogg (NYSE: K) product.

Restaurant veteran joins Long John Silver's

Long John Silver’s has added Dawn Polizzotti as senior vice president of digital.

Prior to joining Long John Silver’s, Polizzotti served in marketing leadership roles at restaurants including Shoney’s, Captain D’s and Burger King.

She drove digital sales through third-party delivery and catering at Shoney’s and was instrumental in the development of marketing initiatives that drove annual same-store sales growth at Captain D’s. Polizzotti also has extensive experience in new product development, having led the teams who created, tested and launched Chicken Fries and the TenderCrisp Chicken Sandwiches at Burger King.

Pizza inspired...by space?

Have you ever thought: "I wonder what space tastes like?"

No? Well, that's probably normal.

But Papa John's International Inc. (Nasdaq: PZZA) is answering that question many of us didn't know we had with a new pizza "inspired by the taste of space."

Inspired by chorizo's fame as the world's furthest travelled sausage — having gone into space with Spanish astronaut, Pedro Duque, in 1998 — the new space-inspired pizza range combines chorizo's flavors with Papa Johns' signature pizzas and Papadias, according to news release. Chorizo is a new ingredient for the brand.

In a multi-channel marketing campaign running in China, Qatar, UAE, Oman, Poland, Germany and select Latin America markets this fall, Papa Johns will take pizza fans to "Planet Chorizo."

"Papa Johns is a brand that is synonymous with delicious flavor experiences," said Jo Blundell, vice president of International Marketing at Papa Johns, in the release. "So, our new space inspired chorizo pizza range and intergalactic marketing campaign will take our fans on an epic taste journey into totally new dimensions."

Maybe diners can pair it with Coke's "Starlight" flavor, introduced earlier this year.

Chipotle adds another menu item

Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. introduced a new menu item nationwide this week called garlic guajillo steak.

The Newport Beach, California-based chain (NYSE: CMG) called the menu addition, available for a limited time, "an entirely new flavor profile to Chipotle's menu."

The new dish features cuts of steak seasoned with a combination of garlic and guajillo and is topped with lime and hand-chopped cilantro.

"We're listening to our guests' requests for intriguing new flavors. Garlic guajillo steak pairs the familiar craveability of garlic with the allure of guajillo into an awesome protein with a slight kick," said Nevielle Panthaky, Chipotle's vice president of culinary, in a statement.

The menu addition is just the latest of Chipotle's new items.

Last month, the company said it's testing (with the strong possibility of a national roll-out) a spicy chicken al pastor dish in Denver and Indianapolis.The new chicken dish is made with adobo, achiote, morita peppers, pineapple, cilantro and fresh lime juice.

The chicken al pastor test follows a November trial of a pollo asado menu item. That was made with garlic, lime, guajillo peppers and cilantro, and it rolled out nationally for a limited time in March. Chipotle said it was the first menu addition made with chicken in its 28-year history.

The chain said it plans to open between 235 to 250 new restaurants in 2022, "which assumes construction, permit and material supply delays don't worsen."

The next big thing in grains

It's never too early to find out what's the next big thing.

2023 is supposed to be the Year of Millet as the international agriculture industry hopes to raise awareness of the grain and its potential for being an answer for regions unable to grow regular grains because of climate change.

In Zimbabwe, the staple maize is becoming harder to grow in a climate that's hotter and drier. Millet and another traditional grain, sorghum, is being used. Both grains are more nutritious and grow under harsh conditions.

Spanish sustainable brand Sohuman ended its Friday show with models, their eye makeup smeared as if crying, holding a picture of Elizabeth and with drawings of the crown or "RIP" written on their hands.

Designer Javier Aparici's colourful collection consisted of dresses in bold shades or with floral prints.

"After the pandemic, the situation around the world is very complicated," he told Reuters.

"And we think it is important to empower woman with a lot colours flowers, attitude, energy."

(Reporting by Sarah Mills; Additional reporting by Marie-Louise Gumuc

Investor sentiment has soured this week after government data on Wednesday showed that inflation remained hot in August, setting the Federal Reserve up for another sharp hike in its benchmark interest rate next week.

"The bears demolished the bulls for three main reasons: the Aug CPI overshot expectations, Fed tightening forecasts continued to rise, and FedEx described an economy witnessing a sharp slowdown," Wall Street analyst Adam Crisafulli said in a research note on Friday.

Donors have given more than ever in 2022 for crises across the world but the needs have also soared amid unprecedented floods in Pakistan and famine warnings in Somalia, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says.

·2 min read
 
 
Yara Nardi/Reuters
 
Yara Nardi/Reuters

ROME—Two young children died after being swept away in a torrential storm that devastated the Marche region of central Italy overnight. Authorities said at least 10 people were killed when more than 15 inches of rain fell in less than three hours. On Friday, at least four people remained missing.

One of the children died when the car he was in with his mother was swept away in the torrents formed by the rain. The mother was rescued but the child was strapped into a car seat in the back.

Rescue workers had to use rafts to reach homes and cars inundated by flash floods in the area that had previously made headlines due to an extreme drought and heatwave during one of the hottest summers on record.

On Friday, business owners with ground-floor establishments were left to sift through mud and water. Many reported a complete loss of their businesses.

 

Forecasters had predicted rain showers, but authorities said they did not anticipate such a dramatic storm. “We were given a normal alert for rain,” Stefano Aguzzi, head of civil protection said Friday. “But nobody had expected anything like this.”

Authorities say the “water bomb” was made worse by the dry conditions. As the rain fell, the land was too parched to absorb it, causing flash flooding. The mayor of one of the hardest hit hamlets likened it to other natural disasters. Ludovico Caverni, mayor of Serra Sant’Abbondio, said the downpour was “like an earthquake.”

The deadly storm is the latest in extreme weather to sweep Italy. In July a chunk of Italy’s largest Alpine glacier detached, killing 11 people.

There is a tsunami of opportunity coming our way that you may be unprepared for. As baby boomers age into retirement, roughly $70 trillion of wealth needs to be transferred somewhere.

 

With a large portion of that wealth tied up in small businesses, those who have spotted the opportunity early have learned how to receive more than their fair share of that transfer.

 

Warren Buffet, once wrote in his 2016 letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders, "Every decade or so, dark clouds will fill the economic skies, and they will briefly rain gold. When downpours of that sort occur, it's imperative that we rush outdoors carrying washtubs, not teaspoons."

 

How do we make sure we are in the group of people bringing out the biggest container possible to capture the gold that has started to fall from the skies?

In 2015, I was a mergers and acquisitions lawyer working for a billionaire out of Dallas. As a lawyer, I had worked with plenty of private equity firms and other public companies using acquisitions to scale their businesses, but this particular billionaire was interesting because he closed significantly more deals than some of the larger clients that the firm worked with.

I had the opportunity to go to dinner with him one evening and I couldn't help but ask him how he had become so prolific in acquisitions and how an aspiring billionaire like myself could follow in his footsteps. His answer was as telling as it was counterintuitive. He said he only had two rules with deals that he did.

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First, he only wanted to do deals where if he was right, he got rich — and if he was wrong, he didn't go broke. He said he never wanted to risk the kingdom for a pot of gold, nor did he want to pick up pennies in front of a steamroller.

 

Second, he tried to buy the smallest amount of a business possible in order to test whether he could affect the change in the business that he hoped for. He called it a "taste test transaction."

He made a comparison to an ice cream shop. When you walk into an ice cream shop, how do you know you are getting the exact flavor that you'd like? Most of us know what flavors we prefer and usually just stick to those.

Whenever you order a slightly weird flavor like pistachio, you are taking a chance on it either being amazing or sometimes horrible. Well, most businesses are kinda like pistachio ice cream. They may be great, but they may not work out at all. This billionaire told me that it only took him one transaction of a horrible pistachio experience with a lot of debt to never go all in without a taste test first.

Here is how, based on his advice, I recommend you structure your taste-test transactions:

First, buy a percentage of a business (usually 20% to 30%) along with an option or right of first refusal to buy the rest of the business if he could turn it around. Depending on the deal, you can also have a controlling interest in the business during this testing period to be able to operate the business with your team and see if they can turn the business around.

If you are able to turn the business around, the business owner will receive more than they otherwise would. If you are not able to turn it around, you can move on to the next deal. The billionaire I talked to could execute so many more deals by taking a small interest at the outset and buying more of the business over time.

Warren Buffet used a similar approach at Berkshire. In a 2014 letter to shareholders, Buffet wrote, "We much prefer owning a non-controlling but substantial portion of a wonderful company to owning 100% of a so-so business. It’s better to have a partial interest in the Hope Diamond than to own all of a rhinestone."

As fears of an economic recession heighten, there is a widening gap between what sellers are willing to sell their business for and the risk that buyers are willing to take in an uncertain economy.

I've seen multiple deals happen with partial acquisitions in ways that a full acquisition wouldn't work—deals that allowed the seller to take some chips off the table while bringing in a new partner with energy to take the business to the next level.

In fact, I recently witnessed an owner of a group of media businesses who was ready to ride off into the sunset with a big exit but couldn't find a buyer who would buy the business out. It took a strong operator to buy a portion of the business and take an operational role. This allowed the investor to start improving the business' value and work on a take-out transaction to buy the rest of the business.

If you can't come to terms with a seller on buying all of their business, consider buying a part of the business now with an option to buy the rest of the business later. See if it doesn't help close the gap to get more deals done.

U.S. stock futures on Friday suggested a sell-off in equity markets was poised to deepen at the open as traders weighed an ominous warning from FedEx about the global economy.

Futures tied to the S&P 500 slid 0.8% along with a 1% decline in Nasdaq futures. Contracts on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were off by 245 points, or 0.8%.

FedEx (FDX) withdrew its full-year guidance late Thursday and delivered messaging around its earnings outlook that sent the stock spiraling in extended trading. Shares tanked roughly 20% pre-market on Friday.

particularly emotive year, including for musician and actor Diljit Dosanjh, the star of Netflix film “Jogi.”

In June 1984, the then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi ordered an army operation against separatist militants at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, a holy location for Sikhs, that was criticized by many in the community. In October, Gandhi’s Sikh bodyguards assassinated her, leading to ant-Sikh riots across northern India, with the country’s capital Delhi as its epicenter.

The happenings of 1984 left deep and enduring scars on the Sikh community and the events have been depicted in film and television over the years. In “Jogi,” directed by Ali Abbas Zafar (“Sultan”), Dosanjh plays the titular Jogi who takes it upon himself to heroically save his family and neighbors as politically-backed riot mobs in Delhi, including childhood friends from other communities, systematically target Sikhs during the 1984 riots.

Amazon’s ‘Rings of Power’ Ratings Figure Doesn’t Reveal Much

Leonardo DiCaprio Could be Asked to Join ‘Squid Game’ Cast, Season 2 Set for 2024, Says Director Hwang Dong-hyuk

 

For Dosanjh, the year is particularly emotive because he was born in 1984, a few months before the cataclysmic events of June and October, and grew up hearing stories about that time. One of the pivotal moments in Dosanjh’s career is “Punjab 1984” (2014) about the events of the year.

“There are many untold stories from that time, pertaining to the Sikh community in Delhi, Punjab and Kolkata, and every time I mention that I was born in 1984, everyone has their own stories,” Dosanjh told Variety. “Stories from that era have not been told and if there is an opportunity to tell them with a good team and platform, I do it.”

Dosanjh feels that the emotions and the pain conveyed in “Jogi” will connect with Netflix audiences around the world given that almost every country has had its own history of oppression.

Already a superstar of Punjabi-language cinema, Dosanjh’s breakthrough role in the Hindi-language Bollywood industry was “Udta Punjab” (2016), revolving around drug abuse in the state of Punjab. He has done several successful Bollywood films since. Dosanjh says that in the Punjabi-language industry he has carte blanche and decides on the subject matter of his films, whereas in Bollywood he waits for offers and makes an informed choice.

Despite his enormous success as an actor, music remains the first love for Dosanjh. He is one of Punjabi music’s biggest stars and has recorded 13 studio albums. His 2020 album “G.O.A.T.” went to No. 1 on on Billboard’s Top Triller global chart and went Top 20 in Canada. His track “Lover,” from the “Moonchild Era” album, has generated more than 70 million views on YouTube.

“Music is no. 1 for me, it is my priority. The pleasure I get from a hit film, I get from composing a new song, whether it is a hit or not,” says Dosanjh, whose Born to Shine world concert tour kicked off in Canada and the U.S. in June and July and continued in the U.K. in August.

Earlier this year, Dosanjh signed with Warner Music to amplify his global music career and has recorded with Canadian rapper Tory Lanez and Tanzanian star Diamond Platnumz. “Peaches,” his single with the U.K.’s Anne-Marie was released earlier this month.

The latest drawdown of $100 million means that OCHA has spent a record quarter of a billion dollars from the Central Emergency Response Fund so far this year. Laerke did not say how much remained. The fund enables the world body to respond quickly to new humanitarian crises or underfunded emergencies without having to wait for earmarked donations.

The money will go to life-saving programmes including in Myanmar and Mali which are only 18%- and 28%-funded. In contrast, Ukraine is one of just a handful of dozens of countries where programmes are more than half funded, at 66%, according to OCHA.

Noting the late arrival of funds for crises in the Horn of Africa and Pakistan, Laerke said some of the newly-released funding will also be used for "anticipatory action" in Niger to address the impact of drought.

"A common concern is that resources often get mobilised only when the disasters reach peak point, the suffering is at its worst, and the response becomes more expensive," he added.

Ukrainian authorities were expected to begin recovering bodies Friday from a newly found mass burial site in a forest recaptured from Russian forces, a task President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said would help show the world "what the Russian occupation has led to." The site was discovered close to Izium after a rapid counteroffensive by Ukrainian forces liberated the northeastern city and other swaths of the Kharkiv region. Associated Press journalists who visited the site Thursday counted hundreds of graves, marked with wooden crosses – most of them numbered, up to 400 and beyond. There was also at least one grave with a marker saying it contained the bodies of 17 Ukrainian soldiers. Read more

·5 min read
 

What we find in our all films is that the themes that we engage in the past are present today.

“And so, when you look at the story that we’re telling of the US and the Holocaust, you understand that the time to save a democracy is before it’s lost. We promise you,” he warned.

Sitting alongside co-director Lynn Novick, Burns, 69, insisted that sending immigrants to one of the ritziest vacation spots in the US was actually “the abstraction of human life.”

“It’s basically saying that you can use a human life that is as valuable as yours or mine or Lynn’s and to put it in a position of becoming a political pawn in somebody’s authoritarian game,” he insisted.

“This is what’s so disturbing about DeSantis — to use human beings, to weaponize human beings for a political purpose,” he claimed.

A Medina County propane supplier with a history of consumer complaints is being sued by the state for the second time since 2016 for "unfair and deceptive" business practices.

Ohio Attorney General's office announced Thursday that it has filed a complaint in Medina County Common Pleas Court citing six violations of the state's consumer protection act by Thrifty Propane Inc. of 2648 Medina Road in Sharon Center. The state is seeking a $25,000 fine for each violation and an unstated amount of restitution for customers.

In a release, Attorney General Dave Yost said the company has been "cheating" consumers.

"Thrifty’s broken promises left some people literally out in the cold," Yost said. "That’s not thrifty; it’s cheating – and we’re taking them back to court again to hold them accountable. This needs to stop!"

 

Thrifty did not return messages seeking comment Thursday.

In its complaint, the state alleges Thrifty advertises and sells propane and propane tanks to customers, while at the same time it failed to deliver gas and tanks to customers in accordance with its agreements with them, including some who had paid thousands of dollars in advance. The company was allegedly slow to provide refunds and was not accessible to consumers, the complaint states.

Customers under the company's "pre-buy" program are instructed to order more propane when their tanks are at around 30% capacity. Customers alleged that Thrifty either failed to deliver, or did not deliver enough of the gas they had paid for to supply their needs.

In some cases, pre-paid customers were forced to purchase propane at a higher cost from other suppliers when their tanks ran dry, and some − including elderly and disabled customers − were hard pressed to purchase from other suppliers because they had already paid Thrifty for fuel, the complaint states.

"Numerous consumers complained to the Ohio Attorney General's Office that no matter the amount of propane consumers ordered, during winter and spring 2022, Defendant was only delivering 100-150 gallons of propane," the court filing states.

 
  • Turning point in the Ukraine war? As Russia admits defeat in Kharkiv, Ukraine regains land, confidence
  • A closer look: Examining Ukraine's decision to shut down the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant over a meltdown risk
A Ukrainian serviceman stands in front of a damaged building in the recaptured area of Izium, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022.
 
A Ukrainian serviceman stands in front of a damaged building in the recaptured area of Izium, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022.

Families of Griner and Whelan to meet  Biden amid US-Russia talks

President Joe Biden will meet with WNBA star Brittney Griner's wife and agent Friday at the White House, a source confirmed to USA TODAY Sports. Griner has been held in Russia since February on drug-related charges. She was sentenced last month to nine years in prison after pleading guilty. The Associated Press first reported Biden will host Griner's camp and the sister of Paul Whelan, the security executive who is serving a 16-year sentence on espionage-related charges he and his family say are false. These will be the first in-person encounters between Biden and the families amid the

(Reporting by Emma Farge; adding by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)

Wednesday, September 14, 2022

Kofil Uddin Sarkar Nobin Crowds line up to see queen's coffin Hafiza khatun bonpara 2022

 The enthusiasm of those in line was not dimmed by the waiting, the marathon nature of the 10-day mourning period, or the traditionally poor British weather.

Enzolytics, Inc. (OTC PINK:ENZC) or the "Company" announces the successful conclusion, in a Delaware Federal litigation, 21-CV-01163-RGA, brought by Peter Mergenthaler against Enzolytics. Enzolytics' Motion to Dismiss was granted by the Federal District Court terminating the case. In the case, an ENZC shareholder sought to require the Company to replace 10,000,000 ENZC shares that Plaintiff claimed were allegedly stolen by third parties. The Court found "that Plaintiff has not stated a plausible claim to relief" and as a result, the Court granted Enzolytics' Motion to Dismiss. The case is now terminated.

"The Judge's decision in this frivolous case is a victory for all our shareholders," said ENZC CEO Charles Cotropia. "This lawsuit was wrongfully brought, making it necessary for the Company to defend against a meritless claim. Taking such action is necessary to protect shareholder value. We must remain diligent and defend against any such attempts that degrade shareholder value."

"While we are pleased with the relief and outcome of the litigation, our true focus and effort are on our science and technology where we are continuing to make great strides as to all therapeutic platforms," added Cotropia.

Additionally, the Company announces that it has formally engaged the accounting firm of Gries and Associates, LLC, of Denver, Colorado, upon termination of the firm MaloneBailey LLP, to complete the two-year audit for 2020 and 2021. "We are extremely pleased to have the expertise of Gries and Associates focused on our audit and to accelerate progress in completing it. Completing a full audit is a primary objective, and we are focused on achieving this goal," said CEO Charles Cotropia.

 

The Company also announces it has taken all action necessary to remove the "Yield" sign from its stock symbol page provided by OTC Markets. The Company is taking every step necessary to ensure future compliance with listing requirements. Enzolytics recently submitted all necessary documentation with OTC Markets to be designated as a company in the "Pink Current Reporting" tier. As a result, OTC Markets removed the "Yield" sign this week.

 

Vanessa Nanthakumaran was the first person to show up at the staging area across the river from Westminster Abbey, from which mourners are expected to file into the ancient building to say farewell to the only monarch most in the country will have ever known.

Nanthakumaran, 56, who is originally from Sri Lanka and now lives in London, said she arrived at the spot near Lambeth Bridge at around 11:30 a.m. local time (6: 30 a.m. ET) on Monday. At that point, the queen’s body was still being viewed by mourners in Scotland.

“I’m very happy that I’m going to be the first, but I didn’t set out to be the first,” she said. “I just wanted to pay my respects and I knew there would be a lot of people who felt the same.”

Nanthakumaran said she never met the queen, but a great uncle was a prominent politician in Sri Lanka who was knighted by Elizabeth’s father, George VI.

“That is my connection to the royal family,” she said. “I admire them greatly. And I know that when I get to the point where we say farewell, it will be overwhelming and I will thank God that I got the chance to say a last goodbye.

Annie, who is from Wales and was asked by security not to divulge her last name or age, said she arrived about five minutes after Nanthakumaran. “I was second,” she said. “It was a complete fluke.”

Trains will run through the night in and out of London from tonight to help mourners visiting the capital to pay their respects to the Queen over the coming days, with around 200 daily rail services added to timetables.

But shaky indexes and sky-high inflation have done little to stifle optimism at SALT — a New York conference hosting some of the world's top financial leaders for wide-ranging talks on money and markets. 

To get a temperature-check on the convention, I caught up with Insider's Laila Maidan, our boots-on-the-ground correspondent this week. 


This post first appeared in 10 Before the Opening Bell, a newsletter by Insider that brings you the inside scoop on what traders are talking about — delivered daily to your inbox. Sign up here. Download Insider's app here.


A businessman faces the Manhattan skyline from Brooklyn

Operators such as Southeastern, Chiltern Railways, Great Western Railway confirmed they will all run overnight services to and from London Victoria, Marylebone and Paddington stations respectively in the next few days.

And mourners waiting for the next departure in the early hours of the morning are expected to be invited to sit on stationary trains at stations such as Charing Cross, Euston, King's Cross, Liverpool Street, Paddington and Victoria.

Network Rail warned visitors of 'unprecedented travel demand in the capital' while Transport for London commissioner Andy Byford said the challenge of keeping the capital moving would be 'bigger than the Olympics'.

The Queen's lying in state at Westminster Hall opens to the public later today at 5pm and up to 350,000 mourners are expected to pass through 24 hours a day until 6.30am next Monday - the day of the late monarch's funeral.

Southeastern will run overnight services every two hours from today until next Monday from Victoria to Dartford, Gillingham, Orpington and Ashford; Charing Cross to Orpington and Tunbridge Wells; and St Pancras to Ashford.

Chiltern will operate two additional overnight trains every day until Monday from Oxford to Marylebone, leaving at 1.35am and arriving at 3am; then a return journey leaving Marylebone at 3.15am and arriving at Oxford at 4.38am.

Great Western Railway said extra services in the very early morning and late evening will be laid on next Monday to take people towards London and back home again. It added that all services 'are expected to be extremely busy'.

The extra trains are now being displayed on journey planners such as Trainline, but a rail industry source warned that the limited number of overnight services means they are 'not something people should be relying on'.

There is likely to be further strain on the rail network because London Victoria Coach Station will be shut next Monday due to many of the roads around it being closed - with National Express switching services to Wembley.

The notifications were issued even as they were working to assist the new king during the accession process -- including while a thanksgiving service for his mother was under way in Edinburgh, it said. Monday will be a national holiday for the queen's funeral.

The Public and Commercial Services Union condemned the decision to announce redundancies during the mourning period as "heartless".

"While some changes across the households were to be expected, as roles across the Royal Family change, the scale and speed at which this has been announced is callous in the extreme," union general secretary Mark Serwotka said.

The Clarence House spokesman said the law required staff to be made aware of the situation at the earliest opportunity.

"Despite every effort to delay until after the funeral the advice remained the same," he said. "Any staff being made redundant will be offered enhanced redundancy payments."

No staff would be affected for at least three months, he added.

Horses, troops and military bands performed a full dress rehearsal before daybreak for the procession that will take Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin from Buckingham Palace to Parliament’s Westminster Hall. Officials say the horses taking part have undergone special training for the Wednesday afternoon event, including how to handle mourners and flowers and flags being thrown toward the procession, according to The Associated Press.

King Charles III will lead the procession behind the carriage, which will be draped in the Royal Standard. The journey is expected to last around 40 minutes.

Once in Westminster Hall, the queen's coffin will rest on a raised platform known as a catafalque and topped with the Imperial State Crown, orb and sceptre. Each corner of the platform will be guarded 24-hours-a-day by soldiers from units that serve the Royal Household.

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby will conduct a short service attended by members of the Royal Family, before the Hall is opened to the public. It is expected that hundreds of thousands of mourners will be able to pay their respects in the 11th-Century building, the oldest part of the Palace of Westminster and the heart of the British government.

Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Bill Richardson, a frequent emissary in hostage negotiations who has worked to secure the releases of WNBA star Brittney Griner and another American, Paul Whelan, imprisoned in Russia, held meetings with leaders in Moscow this week, a person familiar with the matter said Tuesday night.

The visit came as U.S. officials have continued to press Russia to release Griner, who was sentenced last month to nine years in prison in a drug possession case, and Whelan, a Michigan corporate security executive serving a 16-year sentence on espionage-related charges. The U.S. regards both as wrongfully detained.

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken announced in July that the U.S. had made a “substantial proposal” to Russia to facilitate a prisoner swap. Although he did not detail the terms, a person familiar with the matter sai

nflation, inflation, inflation. That’s the message Republicans have been begging and pleading to talk about for months. But don’t tell that to Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).

Graham stole the spotlight from the biggest news in GOP circles — that the consumer price index report showed that inflation rose 0.1 percent in August — by rolling out legislation that would ban abortion nationally after 15 weeks, creating headaches for a party that has been on its heels for much of the past month.

The move effectively kneecapped messaging by Republicans, who have centered their midterm arguments on what they describe as shaky economic stewardship under President Biden. Adding to the economic issues, the inflation report reverberated significantly on Wall Street as the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500 and the Nasdaq all suffered their worst day of losses this year (CNBC).

Hours after the inflation news, Graham, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, officially rolled out his bill, which had been teased late Monday. The Supreme Court in June overturned Roe v. Wade, sending abortion decisions to all 50 states.

“I think we should have a law at the federal level that would say after 15 weeks, no abortion on demand except in cases of rape, incest and save the life of a mother. And that should be where America’s at,” Graham said during a press conference on Capitol Hill, adding a line sure to be featured in Democratic campaign ads in the next two months.

“If we take back the House and the Senate, I can assure you we’ll have a vote on our bill. If the Democrats are in charge, I don’t know if we’ll ever have a vote on our bill,” he added.

The Hill’s Nathaniel Weixel reports that the measure would retain state laws that are more restrictive about abortion while replacing laws in blue states that protect abortion. It also includes exceptions for rape, incest and to save the life of the mother if she is in danger from a physical condition. The bill also carries a potential five-year jail sentence for any abortion provider in violation of a ban.

The announcement bewildered a number of leading Republicans. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) quickly tossed cold water on Graham’s bill, saying abortion decisions should be left to the states (The Hill). Reactions by other Senate GOP members were less charitable.

Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed that the country will get a bank holiday to mourn the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Queen Elizabeth II died on Thursday (8 September) at the age of 96 in Balmoral Castle, after 70 years on the throne.

The late monarch will be laid to rest on Monday 19 September, in Westminster Abbey, London.

Her coffin was flown to London from Edinburgh on Tuesday (13 September) and will be carried in a ceremonial procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall on Wednesday (14 September) to begin her lying in state.

Here’s everything you need to know about Australia’s bank holiday to mourn the Queen.

 

When is Australia’s bank holiday to mourn the Queen?

Australians will be given a bank holiday on Thursday 22 September, after the Queen’s funeral.

It will officially be called the National Day of Mourning for Her Majesty the Queen.

Why is Australia getting a bank holiday to mourn Queen Elizabeth II?

Until her death, the Queen was Australia’s head of state. The new head of state is King Charles III.

The surprise public holiday was first announced by Albanese on Sunday (11 September).

He said at the time: “Over the coming weeks, Australia will continue to commemorate our late Queen.

“I encourage all Australians, wherever you may be, to take time to pause and reflect on Her Majesty’s extraordinary life of service.”

Why is Australia’s bank holiday taking place after the Queen’s funeral?

According to Australian broadcaster Nine News, the bank holiday is timed for when Albanese and governor-general David Hurley return to Australia from the UK, after attending the Queen’s funeral.

Albanese and Hurley will travel to London on Thursday 15 September and return on Wednesday 21 September.

How have Australians reacted to the news?

Albanese has faced a backlash from retail and business groups for announcing the bank holiday at such short notice, with many worried about staffing costs and losing trade on the day.

 

Monday, September 12, 2022

Mizanur Dr missile strikes hit Ukraine's dog grid as payback Inida and Usa 2023 Update sofiqul

 Russia blew up Ukrainian power plants overnight, plunging a third of the country into darkness in apparent revenge for its armies being routed in the east. 

Kirill Stremousov, who is one of the leaders of the Russian-imposed authorities in occupied Kherson in southern Ukraine, has posted to Telegram this morning a message that references the reported territorial losses for Russian forces to the north, while striking a defiant tone about the future of Kherson. The post reads:

Stremousov is at his workplace in Kherson. Kherson is and will be a Russian city. No one is going to surrender the city, let alone retreat.

Following the death of Her Majesty the Queen, Charles has become King, and Camilla, Queen Consort. Prior to being head of the monarchy, the then-Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, resided at Clarence House in London, with other homes including Highgrove House in Gloucestershire, and Llwynywermod in Wales.

A move to Buckingham Palace would be in keeping with tradition, as it has been the official home of British monarchs since 1837. Buckingham Palace has an impressive 775 rooms, including 19 State rooms, 52 royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices, and 78 bathrooms. It also has a Post Office, cinema, swimming pool, doctor's surgery, and jeweller's workshop. The Palace garden is the largest private garden in London, which includes a tennis court, lake, and helicopter pad.

 

Buckingham Palace is currently embarking on a 10-year renovation project in order to keep the building fit for the future. With the royal residence welcoming around half a million people each summer, the changes to make the Palace safe include a new lift installation, and repair work on aged electrical wiring, water pipes and boilers.

Photo credit: DEA / W. BUSS - Getty Images

Along the entire perimeter of the Kherson region, the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation has built lines of defence and nothing threatens the city of Kherson and the Kherson region.

Regarding the situation in the Kharkiv region, many of us are at a loss about the current situation. Time will put everything in its place and we will definitely get answers to our questions.

In the city of Kherson, everything is calm and there is no panic. We will go on the air more often and give most up-to-date information.

Charles and Camilla's Welsh home, Llwynywermod, in the small village of Myddfai in Carmarthenshire, was bought in 2007 for £1.2 million. Situated on the edge of the Brecon Beacons, the luxurious farmhouse includes three cottages, a Grade II-listed barn and a separate main house.

Originally built as a model farm, the property was transformed by architect Craig Hamilton who implemented Charles' philosophy of building sustainably. The house is made from existing and locally sourced materials, including Welsh slate and lime plaster, there's rainwater storage, and heating and hot water comes from a wood chip boiler.

As for the interiors, Llwynywermod has a lovely main reception room with grand high ceilings and exposed wooden beams, plus three bedrooms, and a bathroom with cream walls and tiles. The interiors were designed by Annabel Elliot, who used predominantly local furniture, textiles and objects. The outside space is picture-perfect. Surrounded by 192 acres of countryside, it includes six English field maples which formed the avenue of trees at William and Kate's 2011 wedding, which were later replanted at Llwynywermod.

Here is an image that has been supplied to the newswires showing smoke rising earlier this morning in the aftermath of a Russian attack on the electricity supply in Kharkiv.

Smoke rises over Kharkiv's western outskirts as firefighters put out the fire after a Russian rocket attack hit an electric power station in Kharkiv.

Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to President Zelensky, said strikes on Kharkiv's largest electric plant cut power in that region and Donetsk, and caused partial blackouts in Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk and Sumy. Separate strikes took out water supplies.

King Charles III will lead the Royal family in a procession behind the coffin of his mother when it travels to an Edinburgh cathedral to allow the public to pay their respects.

At 2.35pm on Monday, the late Queen’s coffin will be driven 1,200 yards along Edinburgh’s Royal Mile from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to the 14th century St Giles’ Cathedral.

Her four children will follow, shoulder-to-shoulder, on foot, seen together in public for the first time since her death.

On Monday morning the King will address MPs and peers in Parliament’s Westminster Hall – a decade after his mother did the same.

Clarence House has been the royal residence of many members of the Royal Family throughout the last 170 years. It was the official London residence of King Charles before the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Located just a short stroll away from Buckingham Palace, Clarence House was built in the 1820s and has five bedrooms, a drawing room with a central fireplace, a morning room filled with personal photographs, artworks and antiques, and additional principle rooms which have been used for receptions and other official entertaining over the years.

To prepare the building, Clarence House underwent extensive refurbishment and redecoration. The renovation included new colour schemes, updated textiles, and several new pieces from the Royal Collection and from King Charles' own art collection.

Shah’s lifestyle on Dubai’s luxurious palm-shaped island over the past few years had sparked outrage in Denmark. After Danish authorities signed an extradition agreement with the UAE, Dubai police arrested Shah in June. Shah is one of several suspects in the tax scheme sought by Danish authorities.

During his time in Dubai, the hedge fund manager ran a center for autistic children that shut down in 2020 as Denmark tried to extradite him. He also oversaw a British-based charity, Autism Rocks, which raised funds through concerts and performances.

His arrest comes as pressure grows on Dubai, the region’s financial hub, over its alleged weaknesses in combating illicit finance. The UAE, a federation of seven sheikhdoms, has long invited the wealthy, including disgraced public figures, to invest in the country without questioning where they made their money. Scrutiny of Dubai has intensified as the flashy city-state becomes a haven for Russian money amid Moscow's war on Ukraine.

In recent months, however, the UAE has arrested several suspects wanted for major crimes, including two of the Gupta brothers from South Africa, accused of facilitating vast public corruption and draining state resources with former President Jacob Zuma. An Emirati official also recently became president of Interpol, the international police agency.

The new monarch will accept addresses of condolence from the House of Lords and the House of Commons, before making a speech in the historic 11th-century building.

The King will then embark on a tour of the United Kingdom, visiting Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. 

Follow the latest updates below.

Prince Harry statement expected today

We are expecting a tribute from the Duke of Sussex today. 

We'll bring it to you here as soon as we have it.

Prince William and Harry’s reconciliation is just for mourning, not for life

Reunited in sorrow, it was the moment the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex put their differences aside in honour of their beloved “Grannie”.

Appearing alongside their wives, the Princess of Wales and the Duchess of Sussex, for their first joint appearance since that Oprah Winfrey interview two years ago, it was the remarkable royal walkabout that was supposed to pave the road to reconciliation.

But with the spectre of Prince Harry’s tell-all memoirs hanging like a Sword of Damocles over the House of Windsor, a question mark remains over whether this is just a temporary truce or the beginnings of a more abiding amnesty.

Paddington Bear and marmalade sandwiches - Britain's touching tributes to its witty Queen

A Dubai court ruled on Monday that a British man suspected of masterminding a $1.7 billion tax scheme cannot be extradited to Denmark to face charges.

The decision in the high-profile case grants the hedge fund trader, Sanjay Shah, a victory against Danish authorities who sought him for his role in one of the country’s largest-ever fraud cases. Monday’s court ruling, delivered after a closed-door hearing and without explanation, can be appealed by prosecutors within 30 days.

The elaborate tax scheme, which ran for three years beginning in 2012, allegedly involved foreign businesses pretending to own shares in Danish companies and claiming tax refunds for which they were not eligible.

“Of course we will try to get him (out) on bail now immediately,” Shah’s lawyer, Ali al-Zarooni, told The Associated Press from the Dubai courthouse.

The 52-year-old financier has maintained his innocence in past interviews with journalists but never appeared in Denmark to answer accusations. Al-Zarooni had contested the extradition, arguing the Nordic country had “breached" the rules of international extradition treaties in unspecified ways. He declined to elaborate on Monday.

It was one of the most memorable moments of Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee.

In a surprise sketch, Paddington Bear produces a marmalade sandwich and explains he always keeps one for emergencies.

“So do I,” the Queen responds as she fishes a sandwich from her handbag. "For later."

And now, in the days following the Queen’s death, Paddington Bear and marmalade sandwiches have come to symbolise the country’s affection for her.

Davey: King's appearance in Westminster will be one of 'great sadness'

Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said the King's appearance in Parliament on Monday will be a moment of "reflection" and "great sadness".

Charles and the Queen Consort will visit Westminster Hall where both Houses of Parliament will express their condolences to the new monarch and his wife, and the King will give his reply.

"It's a part of Westminster which is resplendent with history," Sir Ed told Sky News.

"I think we'll all be very proud - proud of our country, proud of our amazing monarchy.

"But it will also be a moment of reflection, as you said, and a moment of great sadness."

Tube hit by power failure

The London Underground has been hit by a power failure as thousands of mourners are expected to descend on the capital to pay tribute to the late Queen.

Transport for London said the issue means there is no Piccadilly line service between Hyde Park Corner and Cockfosters.

There are "severe delays" on the rest of the line.

It has also been reported that the Victoria line is suspended because of power supply problems, with several stations closed.

We will update this story to keep you informed on how it might impact your travel.

City of Edinburgh has 'done us proud'

Cammy Day said there has been an "outpouring" from people celebrating the Queen following her death.

Edinburgh City Council leader told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme: "We saw yesterday as Her Majesty's cortege came into the city from the Forth Road Bridge pretty much all the way along there were people out from their communities, I suppose celebrating the commitment Her Majesty made to public life and to our city.

"A strong and long lasting relationship we've had with the Queen, and I think always will remember, and that was proven yesterday by the thousands of people who were out on the whole of the journey into the heart of the city.

"It's done us proud, the capital city and the people who have made the journey here to be with Her Majesty on her final journey and to welcome the new King to the city as we will do today is something we will all be immensely proud of."

Edinburgh prepares for special send off

Edinburgh City Council leader Cammy Day told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme that the city was expecting large crowds on Monday.

"We're expecting tens of thousands of people to be up and down the High Street as Her Majesty comes up to St Giles' and then onwards from there tomorrow," he said.

"Our advice to people is to get to the city centre as quickly and early as you can, use public transport because the city has diversions or road closures.

"We are looking forward to welcoming tens of thousands of people to give Her Majesty the send off that the city will give her."

Mr Day said the queue from St Giles' Cathedral could potentially spiral back as far as The Meadows as people wait to pay their respects.

London prepares for the Queen's funeral

Preparations are underway in London for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II CREDIT: ANADOL

ous contribution to New Zealand'

New Zealand will have a one-off bank holiday on September 26 to mark the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday.

"This, I hope, will be a chance to acknowledge a lifetime of service to New Zealand by Queen Elizabeth II," Ms Ardern said.

"We need to acknowledge here (that) this is a one-in-70-year event. The Queen was our sovereign, our head of state.

"She made an enormous contribution to New Zealand through her public service. This marks a significant end to a chapter."

New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaks about a bank holiday on September 26 CREDIT: AFP

A state memorial service will be held in the capital's Cathedral of St Paul on the same day.

Ms Ardern confirmed she will leave New Zealand on September 14 to attend the late Queen's funeral in London, immediately after which she will fly to the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is also flying to London to attend the funeral.

On Sunday, Australia and New Zealand officially named King Charles III as monarch.

Both former British colonies have been independent for decades but retain the monarch as their head of state.

Mr Podolyak branded it 'a coward's response to the escape of [Russia's] own army from the battlefield' while Zelensky vowed: 'Cold, hunger, darkness and thirst - for us not as scary and deadly as your "friendship and brotherhood."

But history will put everything in place. And we will be with gas, lights, water and food.. and WITHOUT you!'

It came after Ukraine's army mounted a stunning counter-attack east out of Kharkiv at the weekend - breaking through poorly-defended Russian lines, routing Putin's troops, and capturing more than 1,000 square miles of territory.